Double or Nothing
by SDproductions
Summary: Throughout history, many Mutual Killings have occurred, and many have faced death. Only a select few survive to tell the stories of those who didn't quite make it to the end. Yet, is death truly the end of a story, or just the start of a new one? And what if I told you...that there were still pages left to write in your story when you died? An SYOC story—with a twist. [CLOSED]
1. Prologue and List

Last words.

What about them, you ask? Well, it's interesting what some people are able to cough up when they know that they're about to bite it. Of course, some people don't know that they're going to die, so oftentimes it's just nonsense and possibly cliché, like your everyday scream of practical uselessness and whatnot, but there truly are some hidden gems out there.

 _I wish the first word I ever said was the word 'quote,' so right before I die I could say 'unquote'._

Ah, Steven Wright! Yes, that is an excellent way to go out, even if someone else has probably done it ahead of you. No offense, but hey, at least it could be so much worse.

 _Why are you doing this to me? I just want to go home!_

Then there's this example. As last words go...not very memorable.

...Those were _actually_ someone's last words? Hah, that poor sap never stood a chance—

Wait, that poor sap is— ahahahaha! Of course, I should have expected that. Clearly not the best last words to go out on, huh?

...Yeah, whatever, I'll get to the point.

Ahem. Normally, most people don't even get to reflect on their last words. It spares them the mind-crushing embarrassment of having to live with the fact they said them.

After all, last words are for people who can't say anything after they've died. No takebacks, no refunds.

There's just one teensy-weensy, itty-bitty little difference here.

You're not quite dead, are you?

 _Not even close. I still want to **live**._

Perfect. Then please, come this way.

I want to play a game with you. I think you'll remember what it is.

* * *

 _A/N:_

 _Strictly speaking, I think this is a horrible idea for me to tackle given the fact that I'm technically supposed to be attached to at least three different stories on this site, and as such, I'm really not supposed to be free to do something like this._

 _But of course, when have I ever listened to myself as a voice of reason?_

 _Okay, let's address the elephant in the room: this is a very special SYOC, one that could either go on to be spectacularly mediocre, or blow up in my face. This all depends on whether or not my plans for this story pan out in the way I want them to, especially with the first and most important twist of them all._

 _You see, this is a Mutual Killing Game for the_ _ **dead**_ _._

 _I'm looking for OC submissions, but not just any OCs. The character you submit has to meet these requirements:_

 _1) They must have participated in a Mutual Killing Game before the events of this story. You can create a character from a self-created MKG from scratch, but a preferred option (both for you and me) is that you give me the name of the Mutual Killing Game they last appeared in. Yes, this story is probably the only one in the site history (no pun intended) to_ _ **encourage**_ _reused OCs, and that's precisely why I'm afraid this could probably be a horrible idea, but hey. My story, my problems - you get the dubious honour of watching me sink or swim, firsthand._

 _2) They must have_ _ **died**_ _in said past Mutual Killing Game. This doesn't apply to just the innocent - they could have been victimized, blackened, responsible for killing someone and getting killed immediately after (a la Yamada), executed outside of a trial for whatever reason (a la Mukuro) or even the mastermind of their Mutual Killing Game! Yes, you can literally submit your Mastermind for a second chance to Mastermind all over again! ...Then again, how many stories have even reached the point where their mastermind has been executed?_

 _3) They must be at least somewhat realistic. I know, this is an unspoken rule, but take a step back to consider what they could bring to the plot. If they have clear motivations, a strong personality, and a willingness to grow, congratulations, they'll now get a second chance to tie up any loose ends they couldn't settle before their untimely demise. On the other hand, if they are overly cliche to the point of 'hope is good despair is evil and I'm right all the time sore wa chigau yo'...Well, do you think I'll like them? If so, press your luck and hope Nagito smiles upon thee._

 _4) They must not be Todd Dunham. This rule is simple and nothing to worry about. As far as you and me are concerned, you don't know who Todd Dunham is, nor what he has done to merit a spot on this. Clear? Alright._

 _Because I am a sucker for listing examples, I'll give you guys a few._

* * *

 **Haruna Takahashi** \- _Super High School Level Soccer Player_

Story they appeared in: _Encore of Despair_

Status: _Victim (Chapter 1)_

 _Her creator,_ _ **Shiranai Atsune**_ _, can submit her (with her original form adapted to fill in the blanks on the new one) without any need for change._ _ **Unify**_ _, being the author of Encore of Despair, can also submit her, as he technically also owns her, having featured her in-story. Other authors are free to submit her too, but chances are she won't be the same Haruna._

* * *

 **Mozume Saito** \- _Super High School Level Foley Artist_

Story they appeared in: _-_

Status: _Mastermind (Chapter 6)_

 _An example of a vanilla OC. You can create one using the form, and make up the circumstances that led to their death in their respective Mutual Killing Game. Of course, this means more work for the both of us, but I welcome it wholeheartedly. Heck, my own character is probably going to be a vanilla OC, so if you just want to create a whole new character that died once before, be my guest!_

* * *

 _To recap, both character submitters and the SYOC authors who received them can promote an OC that died once before in a past Mutual Killing Game if they so please. Authors, do try to get permission from your submitters beforehand if you do so, though. It's always polite to check-in with your clientele._

 _So, what you've all been waiting for - the form. Please fill out all portions marked with an asterisk (*) - the others you can leave blank for me to fill out, though you should really fill those if you have anything special to say. It will also be on my profile page for easy copy-pasting. Oh, and leave out the brackets._

* * *

 ** _Story they last appeared in: *(if any, leave blank otherwise; can be a forum or tumblr RP as well)_**

 ** _:General Info:_**

 ** _Name: * (please specify which is first and which is last; due to the MKGs potentially happening worldwide, any naming convention is fine by me)_**

 ** _Nickname(s): (if any)_**

 ** _Talent: * (Try to avoid canon talents - I'll accept under special circumstances, but you should go with original ones anyways)_**

 ** _Age (at time of death): *_**

 ** _Gender: * (all genders are accepted, but please specify clearly, and do your research if necessary; I myself will balance out the roster as I see fit)_**

 ** _Nationality/Ethnicity: *_**

 ** _Height: *_**

 ** _Build: * (Long and lanky? Stocky? The loli-type? Or just regular?)_**

 ** _:Appearance:_**

 ** _Physical Appearance: * (do remember to include eye and hair colour and hairstyle; heterochromia is not encouraged, but will be considered)_**

 ** _Clothing: * (I strongly recommend keeping this practical and suited to your character - a Drag Racer would not wear a skimpy bikini, nor would a Basketball Player be wearing several layers of jackets)_**

 ** _Presentation: (Do they carry themselves with confidence? Shrink into one corner and meep? Calmly disappear and reappear only when needed?)_**

 ** _Physical Anomalies: * (any amputations/scars/tattoos, etc.)_**

 ** _Special Accessories: (if any; make sure they can be carried around on a daily basis and do not impede the character in any way)_**

 ** _:Mental:_**

 ** _Personality: * (at least five lines; try to give a fair assessment of how they would act in normal/different situations, and their strengths/weaknesses)_**

 ** _Speech Pattern(s): (Do they have an accent? Do they have an aversion to speaking loudly? Do they suffer from sepsiquadalian loquaciousness?)_**

 ** _Habits: (Do they bite their fingers? Twiddle their thumbs? Pick their nose when no one's looking?)_**

 ** _Fears: * (What are they scared of? What causes them to scream?)_**

 ** _Likes: * (around three)_**

 ** _Dislikes: * (around three)_**

 ** _Life Goals:_**

 ** _People They Would Get Along With: * (Self-explanatory)_**

 ** _People They Would Not Get Along With: * (Self-explanatory)_**

 ** _Openness to Romance: * (they don't necessarily have to be fully open to romance for a 'Yes' - they could be open but not actively pursuing a relationship, or already in a previous relationship at time of death)_**

 ** _Sexual Orientation/People They Would Look For In A Relationship: (I will figure out if your character ends up in a romantic relationship [again or otherwise] or not - don't expect both halves of the ship to survive to the end, however)_**

 ** _Other: (Anything you'd like to add regarding their personality?)_**

 ** _:Biography:_**

 ** _History: * (at least five lines; try to explain the events behind your character's journey in attaining their Super High School Level Talent)_**

 ** _Mutual Killing Game History: * (Not required if they come from a source I can read, like another fanfiction. Otherwise, describe how they ended up dead as a direct result of the Mutual Killing Game they participated in)_**

 ** _Known Family Members: (if any, in the format below)_**

 ** _[Name of family member] - [Relation to OC] - [Age]: (Short description)_**

 ** _Hobbies: (if any)_**

 ** _Secrets: (not mandatory, but try to give at least one; surely your character has to have done something they're not proud of, right?)_**

 ** _:DR Role:_**

 ** _Reaction to Corpse: * (Will they scream? Silently collapse? Or applaud?!)_**

 ** _Investigation Role: * (How will your character act during investigation? Will they insist on searching in groups? Lead the charge?)_**

 ** _Class Trial Role: * (Will they bring up new ideas? Go with the flow? Factcheck everything? Or be Hagakure-level useless even?)_**

 ** _Rate In Order Of Likelihood: * (Victim, Killer, Mastermind, Survivor, Protagonist)_**

 ** _Are You Comfortable With Them Masterminding?: * (Yes/No)_**

 ** _Possible Reasons For Murder: (aside from the whole 'coming back to life thing', obviously)_**

 ** _Ideas for their Execution: (I'll come up with one for you no matter what, but if you have any great ideas, be my guest)_**

 ** _:Miscellaneous_** ** _Trivia:_**

 ** _Sample Quotes: * (Give me an idea of how your character speaks, or how they would greet someone)_**

 ** _Trial Quotes (just for fun; examples given in the brackets, courtesy of the SHSL Chessmaster; do keep it short and sweet, and if possible, punny)_**

 ** _I disagree: (Aren't you making a huge oversight?)_**

 ** _I agree: (That's the best response in this case.)_**

 ** _I think it's this: (It's a variation of this, I believe.)_**

 ** _Crossed Swords Begin: (I'll pin your words down!)_**

 ** _Crossed Swords Finisher: (I'll skewer your argument straight through!)_**

 ** _I've figured it out: (Eureka, I've got it!)_**

 ** _Panic Talk Action Finisher (e.g. Hajime's 'This is the end!'): (Checkmate!)_**

 ** _Climax Inference Ender: (Game, set, and match. Well played, [name], but you've lost!)_**

 ** _Accusing Someone: (I'm afraid I must call check on you...Surely you can offer a counterargument...Right, [Name]?)_**

 ** _Anything else?: (Really, was this form not clear enough? Wwwwwwww)_**

 ** _Anything you want to say to me directly?: (all manner of insults welcome; after all, I did force you through this form O u O)_**

* * *

 _Do remember that they will all retain memories of their past in their original Mutual Killing Game, and will likely retain mental scars of any injuries they received prior to/during their death._

 _I will select the mastermind at random from the pool presented to me. The protagonist, on the other hand, will be the student I feel suits the role best - and in all likelihood, I'll be going with my character, to be perfectly honest. But if you can impress me...We'll see. :3_

 _Also, as always, I cannot guarantee that I'll stick 100% to your character the way you intended for them to be portrayed. Liberties have to be taken sometimes, but I'll do my best to spotlight them how they were meant to be spotlighted and all._

 _Oh yes, and a maximum of two OCs per person. Can't have a monopoly on the twenty spots occurring, now can we?_

 _And finally, I hope you have as much fun during the process as I have had making this ridiculously, well, ridiculous idea of a fanfic come to life. I'm graciously thankful to this whole fandom for giving me the inspiration to attempt this, even if I still think this is a bad idea. To that, I say, carpe diem!_

 _I'm looking forward to your OCs! Remember, you can create them from scratch, or you can repurpose them from the last SYOC they were in! Happy trails, everyone!_

* * *

 ** _UPDATE [21/03/16]: Aaaaaaaand the roster is complete! Jeez louise, guys, you sure didn't make it easy for me - thirty-two applications had to be whittled down to nineteen, and it got really hard to decide on the last few spots. Heck, it would have stayed at nineteen if not for a very special application that just had to be accepted. As such, I knocked off a certain enigma and voila, I have my cast! Thank you all so much for applying and taking interest in this story, and I hope that not being in it will not affect you as a reader. In any case, cheers!_**

 ** _P.S. Speaking of which...what happened to my OC, you ask? Why was their talent such a heavily-guarded secret? So many things I wanted to reveal about them, but I guess you'll never know the answers to that..._**

 ** _ACCEPTED OCS SO FAR:_**

 ** _1\. Super High School Level Cosplayer - fangirlandotaku_**

 _ **2\. Super High School Level Screenwriter - Criminal Limes**_

 ** _3\. Super High School Level Observer - arandomcanadian_**

 ** _4\. Super High School Level Journalist - PSISomething_**

 ** _5\. Super High School Level Gunslinger - dashunterman_**

 ** _6\. Super High School Level Geisha - SqualinaTralala_**

 ** _7\. Super High School Level Ninja - Daichi Yamazaki_**

 ** _8\. Super High School Level Maskmaker - Shadowclanwarrior_**

 ** _9\. Super High School Level Sharpshooter - Revolution921_**

 ** _10\. Super High School Level Traveler - HeroineOfDarkness_**

 ** _11\. Super High School Level Bodyguard - Penumbro_**

 ** _12\. Super High School Level Con Artist - CaptainQuackin_**

 ** _13\. Super High School Level Actor - VioElcina_**

 ** _14\. Super High School Level Actress - Fujisaki-kun_**

 ** _15\. Super High School Level Memory Bank - IfTimeWasStill_**

 ** _16\. Super High School Level Knight - Gazooki_**

 ** _17\. Super High School Level Codebreaker - Strange Nothing_**

 ** _18\. Super High School Level Typographist - 50Zoned_**

 ** _19\. Super High School Level Tactician - CrimsonSkyTamer_**

 ** _20\. Super High School Level Street Artist - TheRoseShadow21_**

* * *

 _"It's almost time for them to wake up...Mana, let's go check up on the negative control. I hope that your claims that his personality has not been affected are not unfounded."_

 _"Of course they aren't, daddy. I wouldn't let such a pure heart be maligned in any way. Not this time. I promise."_


	2. Interlude 0-1

_A/N:_

 _Let's get this party started! Actual review replies will go here from next chapter onwards._

* * *

 **Double or Nothing**

 **Interlude Zero: Rebirth**

 **Chapter One: Push Play**

* * *

Normally, when you wake up, you'll find yourself somewhere comfortable and safe, like your default bed, a comfortable desk, or heck, if you're lucky, somebody's lap. The unlucky ones wake up in a ditch, or a bathtub full of ice, with a stitch in your side and missing some very important things.

Me? Well, I woke up in a hospital bed...It's less a waking up than a slow clearing of my head though. There's a wispy gauze over everything in my general train of thought, and I can't think clearly enough to get rid of it.

The smell of antiseptic is thick in the air. It permeates my nostrils, and I choke on the sickeningly sweet aroma. The hacking cough that escapes my throat feels dry, and every single one of my teeth hurt. It doesn't take long before I prop myself into a seating position, though the pain in my chest doesn't go away, and doesn't appear to be going away anytime soon.

 _Urgh...What did I do last night?_

The sound of movement distracts me from my misery. I hear two pairs of footsteps make their way over to my bedside, and catch a glimpse of my visitors as the curtain is drawn back.

"He's awake, daddy! I told you the process could be made quicker! Hey, you!" The black-haired figure in a labcoat turns to me suddenly, having been talking over her shoulder at first. She passes over two things, and I take them from her apprehensively—a pair of rimmed glasses and a glass of what looks like water. "Drink that and put 'em on, it'll do you good!"

Seeing as how I have nothing else to lose (or do, for that matter), I finish the water, before putting the glasses on with one hand. My parched throat is refreshed, and the entire world suddenly becomes that much clearer, and I come face-to-face with the mystery girl. Bright green eyes, shoulder-length ebony hair and a quirky fashion sense, what with the white labcoat and gold dress underneath.

I incline my head. "Thank you, but where exactly are we, and what am I doing here?"

Before the girl can speak any further, a large hand ruffles her hair. "Alright, alright, you were correct this time, peaches. I'll take you to Disneyland once we're done here, alright?"

"Yes daddy!" She salutes and steps back, leaving just the middle-aged man in a more conventional labcoat and dress shirt to address me.

"Good afternoon," he greets, using the clipboard he was holding to push the curtains away. "I don't suppose you remember who I am?"

I take a good look at him, and shake my head. "No, I'm sorry but I don't remember you. Who _are_ you anyways, and again, where are we and what am I doing here?"

He smiles genially. "I am known to the world at large and my associates as Doctor Mototani Fujiwara, but actually, if you don't mind, it's just 'the Doctor', or 'Doctor' when it comes to patients addressing me." He runs a hand through his greying black crew-cut, before placing a hand on the shoulder of the girl, who was a few inches shorter. "This is my daughter, Mana. She will be assisting us over the course of your stay here."

"Hello again!" Mana waves excitedly, and her neon-green glasses go askew over the top of her freckled nose. She catches me staring what might be a little too intently at her, and blushes, causing me to blush in return. "I'm uncomfortable with the attention, but I'll do my best to support my daddy and you, mister!"

 _Mister? I can't be that old, can I?_ "Just call me...Call me…"

My voice cracks when I cannot find a name to end the sentence. My mind draws blank after blank, and it is with a sudden jolt that I realize I can't remember my name either.

In fact, I can't remember who I am.

"You can't recall anything about yourself, can you?"

I turn to the Doctor and his daughter. "Yeah, I mean, I seriously have no idea who I am…"

Suspicion sets in as I narrow my eyes at the two. "...How do you know that? Were you guys responsible for taking my memories?"

"Yes, indeed! We took most of your memories, leaving you the ability to do most human functions and probably reference some pop-culture. And oh," Mana holds up a finger to silence my lips. "The removal of your memory is completely authorized, stamped and dated, and I can even show you physical proof of it if you want, alongside with who authorized it for you!"

My argument dies before it even has a chance to begin, as I take in that revelation. _Who would be so selfish as to sign over their kid's memories? Mum? Dad? Did one of you two decide that whatever memories of the life I've lived up to now should be rendered forfeit for some reason?_

"Actually," the Doctor smiles, taking in the gobsmacked look on my face, no doubt. " _You_ were the one who permitted us to perform memory removal. Of course, you don't recall signing it, but we do, and it's all already in black-and-white, so you'll have nothing to look forward to in regards to figuring out who you are."

 _...Good job, past me. Five out of seven. WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!_

"Well, can you at least tell me where are we and what I'm doing here, then?" I ask, ignoring the screaming voice in my head.

In response, the Doctor removes a pin from his coat and sets in on the bed. I pick it up, and study the initial engraved on the copper surface: S.M.H.

"Welcome to the Sanctuary Memorial Hospital, where the best response to anything the doctor asks is SMH." He informs me pleasantly. "Now, as for what you're doing here, perhaps now would be a good time to tell you."

* * *

" **You've been dead for quite some time now."**

* * *

The words resonate in my ears, and I blink. Shaking my head, I ask, "Sorry, could you repeat that? I could have sworn you said that I was dead, and I'm pretty sure that's not the case, right?"

The smile doesn't leave his face. "I'm afraid it is."

"Then how am I here? How am I talking to you? Aren't the dead supposed to, oh, I don't know, _be_ dead?" I retort, disbelieving. _Are they seriously saying that I'm a dead guy?_

He clicks his tongue at me, scribbling something else into his clipboard. "I said that you've been dead for quite some time now, but I never said you stayed dead. Thanks to our efforts, we've managed to retrieve your consciousness from your dead husk of a body, before transferring it over, and voilà, here we are now."

"Mister," Mana continues in his stead. "You may not believe it now, that we can understand. However, there are others just like you—and unlike you, in the sense that while you have forgotten that you died once, they will have not. You can go talk to them, and find out who they are and how they got here in due time."

 _...There are others? Other people who died and have come back to life?_

I decide to play along for now. "Well, then what are they supposed to call me? Mister? Jason Bourne? I think it's at least polite to give me something that I can go by, since, y'know, you guys took my name and memories and whatnot."

The Doctor puts a hand to his chin, before his eyes light up in an epiphany. "Alright, then in my infinite wisdom, I bestow upon you the names Yuki, for bravery, and Mikuru, for the future. Henceforth, I christen you Mikuru Yuki, reborn as the Super High School Level Aide, for the days to come."

"So what you're basically doing is making me into a walking Haruhi Suzumiya reference." I quip, trying to push the topic away from my apparent undeath.

He looks at me for one moment, before writing something else on his clipboard. "Perhaps we need to change just a few more things about his memory. I knew I shouldn't have left the pop-culture part of his memory intact, but I thought it wouldn't be this bad. Mana, send him back under."

"Yes, daddy!" The black-haired girl chirps excitedly, before producing a mallet from inside her coat.

Regretting my words almost immediately, I attempt to bring my hands up to plead. "Wait, I-"

 _ **BAP!**_

 _I so totally set myself up for that one,_ was all I could think as the mallet catches me across the face and knocks me unconscious.

The rubber, _inflatable_ mallet.

Must've rolled a one on constitution.

* * *

 **SUBJECT CONFIRMED: MIKURU YUKI - SHSL AIDE**

 **AGE: 17**

* * *

When I wake up again, I'm back at my bed, still as sceptical of the fact that I died as ever. Doctor Fujiwara is gone, but his daughter, Mana, is sitting by my bed. "Ah, Yuki-san, welcome back!" she greets, "Feel alright?"

"I feel as if you've broken my nose." I tell her bluntly as I get back to a sitting position. Rubbing said nose elicits a laugh from the ebony-haired girl, prompting a whine from me. "Why do I feel like I always get into these kind of messes?"

"Perhaps you do. I can't say; I've only known you for less than a week, but judging by how you looked like when you came in, you probably did!" She reveals with yet another laugh.

I raise an eyebrow in response. "How _I_ looked like?"

She produces a makeup kit from a side pocket, and flips it open. Presenting the mirror to me, I glance into it, and a face I don't know looks back out.

Tired, gold eyes wince at the reflection, and as I blink, I affirm that they are my own. And what a mess I look; my face is drawn and pale, and the dark circles shadowing my eyelids make me look like I just won the national awake-a-thon. A mop of messy brown hair spreads itself over the top of my head, and the uneven fringe that hangs over my thin glasses parts three ways, though it is with some satisfaction that the first thing that comes to my mind when I see my overall face is 'skater-boy', so I guess I'm not _that_ bad-looking?

Then again, what or who am I comparing myself to?

I begin to close the mirror, but I accidentally fumble with it and drop it onto my lap. "Whoops, sorry, I'll just—"

Looking down, I stop talking almost immediately in shock. A smooth, hairless chest greets me, and two things become immediately clear as Mana picks up the downed makeup kit.

One, I have a very flawless body.

And two, judging by how I can feel the bedsheet under my similarly hairless butt, I don't appear to be wearing anything at all.

"...Mana, where are my clothes?" I ask hesitantly.

"Well, you got here _without_ 'em, so we really hadn't the time to put some on you! That's why I said you probably got into a lotta messes!" She replies, shrugging her shoulders.

I groan. "Can I please have some clothes then?"

"Oh, certainly! Here, lemme just get that…" She reaches for a bag, lying to the side of my bed, before pulling out a long piece of fabric from within. "One SMH-grade hospital gown! One-hundred percent cotton, chemically treated to ensure smooth skin and all that good stuff!"

Tossing it to me, I catch it and slide my hands through the sleeves, relieved to be at least free of one problem. As I reach around, however, I find that my arms aren't long enough to reach the buttons.

"Need a little help there?" comes the giggle.

I shake my head. "No thanks, I can handle it myself...Eventually."

She laughs again. "Nonsense! Mikuru-chan, turn around and let me do it!"

I begin to reply, but suddenly, the words die in my throat as my body moves of its own accord, shifting itself to the side and allowing Mana full access to my back. She hums happily as she buttons up my rear, leaving me to ponder _what the hell just happened_ and _why I listened to her._

"...You implanted a command word into my mind, didn't you?" I realize, frowning. _If they were already capable of retaining my memories, this is nothing._

"Yep!" She confirms, finishing up. Turning me back around, she grins. "Mikuru-chan, clap your hands!"

The order washes over me, and try as I might to prevent it, my palms come together almost immediately.

Resignedly, I sigh. "Alright, you've proved your point. Now what?"

Pulling open the curtain fully, Mana gestures to the rest of the hospital beds, arranged in a circular fashion around the circumference of the large room—save for the screen door to my direct right that leads out. "Like daddy said, there are twenty others like you in this room. They were all previously deceased like you, victims of their own circumstances, and they clearly remember how and when they died. Admittedly, we've already fixed their bodies pretty good, so there won't be much evidence to convince you that they were once cadavers, but I'm sure you can take their word for it over mine, right?"

I look around. Twenty identical bright-blue beds, curtains drawn and desks to their side prim and proper. Twenty small cabinets, shelved to the side, each bearing its own electronic lock.

Twenty bodies out-of-sight, each one previously deceased, and in the same boat as me.

 _How am I taking this so calmly?_

"...You also reconfigurated my propinquity levels towards you, so that I trust you more, and thus, I'm more receptive and more likely to trust any information that you're telling me." I hazard a guess.

Mana smiles, and pats me on the head. "You're learning quickly. That's good, I knew there was potential in you, even before you volunteered."

 _Okay, she's good, I'll give her that._ "Volunteered?" I ask, my thoughts and speech separate. "Is that why I 'theoretically' signed away my identity?" My fingers draw quotation marks as I speak, air-quoting 'theoretically'.

"No, actually." Pulling out a sheaf of papers, she adjusts a pair of imaginary glasses. Oddly enough, the action causes me to instinctively adjust my _own_ pair of real glasses, propping them up onto the bridge of my nose with the pointer finger of my right hand. She grins, and I am once again reminded that, despite how she looks, she's already manipulated things about me that I didn't even know were possible.

 _What in the world has she_ _ **not**_ _done to my brain?_

"Moving on from that impromptu test, our original plan was something different. It was through your offer that we focused on repurposing your memory first, instead of randomizing between all of the twenty-one subjects in the first draft." She explains, flipping the papers rapidly.

I take in the explanation, and it baffles me. "So why did you change it, then? I don't see how me volunteering to go first should affect your so-called experiment too much."

"Oh, silly Mikuru, that's not how it is."

What she says next explains it, though it opens up a new can of worms.

* * *

" **You volunteered to have your memories erased such that the memories of the other twenty didn't have to be."**

* * *

 _I did what?_

"You see, we were going to wipe the memories of everyone here of their respective demises, including yours, in order for them to experience new life without the trauma of a past death." She points at me. "But your consciousness demanded otherwise. You pushed aggressively for the other students to retain their memories, and we only agreed when you offered all of _your_ memories, plus the freedom to manipulate your mental capacity such as the ability to follow orders, as down payment."

 _...Past me, I hate you so much right now._

The situation is so absurd that I laugh. "I guess there's nothing I can do now, huh? If I was that much of an idiot to make the choice, then I'll just have to live with the consequences, memories be damned!"

"That's the spirit, yeah! And hey, it's not all bad, you get to work for me and help out the others in their quest for a new life!" Mana giggles, as she inches closer, to the point where I can see the yellow dots in her green eyes. I am made very aware of every breath she takes, and of my own heart, which is beating ridiculously loudly in the quiet hospital room.

"And quite frankly, you deserve a bit of a reward. And I think there's no one better than me to give it to you," she whispers.

Something soft and warm presses itself to my lips, teasing them open, and the faint taste of vanilla dances around my tongue. Heat courses through me as I close my eyes, and melt into the sensation with nary a care.

 _This is happening._ _I am being kissed. This is unreal, I don't want it to end_ —

Pulling away, she smiles cheshirely. Her next words are the most genuine ones I've heard since we started our tête-à-tête, "Good luck, Mikuru-chan. Do your best, alright? I know you can make this work."

And with that, she closes the curtain on my stupid face.

It takes a few seconds for my brain to catch up, but I immediately throw open the curtain when it does. "Mana, wait-!"

But she's disappeared. Into thin air. Without a single clue as to how she left so quietly and mysteriously.

 _...What's that?_

I look to the middle of the room, where the clipboard that Mana's father, the Doctor, was using is now lying on the floor, next to a pen. I guess she wants me to pick them up?

I test my legs as I set my bare feet against the cool linoleum floor. Confident that they can support my weight, I take a few tentative steps forward, before picking up the slack and reaching the writing materials.

I read the letter addressed to me on the front page out loud, "Ahem. Dear Mikuru-chan, if you can read this, I have successfully fooled you into thinking that I've managed to leave in a mysterious way. In reality, you should really think about crawlspaces."

The door closes on me as I turn around, and I realize what she did. _Smart girl...She was hiding under my bed._

Chuckling briefly, I return to vocalizing the letter. "Anyways, your job here is to check up on your twenty classmates, both physically and emotionally. There will be clipboards like these on the desk of everyone; each one contains a record of the patient's name, appearance, age, area they chose to specialize in as a Super High School Level Talent, and their previous cause of death. Mikuru-chan, you are to ensure that the leftover surgical scars from my last operation on them are staying strong on the surface; don't worry, their insides are perfectly fine, trust me."

I skip the lines about how their memories are retained since she's explained that to me, and move on. "And just like how I dressed you, Mikuru-chan, you'll be dressing them all in the standard-issue hospital gown I've left on each bedside table. You didn't have a problem with nudity when you were alive, and I've ensured that you still don't have a problem now, but I'll be watching to make sure everything goes alright from a hidden location. And finally, Mikuru-chan, don't mention me or my daddy. We'll make ourselves known when the time is right, but until then, act like you're the one in charge, and deflect questions you can't answer. I know you can do this, because I believe in you. And if you do your job well, you'd be surprised at how good my rewards can get, winky face. Cheers, and all the best, Mikuru-chan! Warmest regards, Mana."

 _You certainly know how to make a guy feel awesome...among other things._

A hasty note scribbled below draws my attention. "P.S. I've left the scrunchie I use to tie my hair with under your bed. If you put it around your wrist, I promise you sincerely that you will not die for as long as you have it on. And I _never_ go back on my promises."

I walk back to my bead, and bend down to reach underneath. I find the black scrunchie almost immediately, and as I put it on me, I can't help but feel excited about my circumstances.

 _This is it. This will be my life now. I'm going to be Mikuru Yuki, the Super High School Level Aide, and the best damn Aide to Mana as I can ever be!_

They say love makes you stupid. Can't help that the kiss is the best memory I can currently recall, and doesn't help that my mind got reset just before, so the memory bounces around my mind like a pinball.

 _Let's go do whatever it is I'm supposed to do!_

In my giddiness, it takes me a while to realize that my breathing isn't the only one in this deafening silence.

I hold my breath, and listen intently. The exhalation of air clues me in towards the fourth bed from my right, and as I approach it, the pace of the breath gets steadily faster and faster.

 _As if they've figured out that they're not alone. Guess it's time to say hello to my first 'classmate'._

There's a clipboard and a new hospital gown on the desk beside the bed, and following the letter, I pick them up. Glancing over the details listed on the papers, I brush open the hospital curtain. "Hello, miss—"

Immediately, I get knocked to the floor, and a pair of hands wrap themselves around my neck.

* * *

 _A/N:_

 _Fun fact: I'm actually a character narcissist. As such, there was no way I was going to let this Mutual Killing Game go on without my character getting at least getting some form of plot. But perhaps it's a blessing in disguise - the other four people I would have chosen for the role of deuteragonist are spared the need to undergo the same process Mikuru did, so their personalities, history and title are all safe and sound. Though that may not have been the best case for one of them…_

 _Ah, spoilers. How I wish I could tell you, but nope. :3_

 _Anyways, Mikuru will_ _ **not**_ _stay as the point-of-view character for the entirety of the story. As the_ _ **deuteragonist**_ _, he will only have central focus for the_ ' _ **Interludes'**_ _of DoN (view the title card up above - this is Interlude Zero); the_ ' _ **Volumes'**_ _of DoN will have a different OC providing their point-of-view, and as such, they'll be the actual_ _ **protagonist**_ _. You'll find out their identity come Volume One; this Interlude is to facilitate the recovery arc of DoN, where the students get time to recover from any trauma they may or may not have endured. Expect to see a few familiar faces - if not because you recognize them, then because some of these OCs happen to have premiered in the same original story together…_

 _(The operative keyword being 'some'. The actual meaning of the word? 'Quite a lot', actually. You guys sure do enjoy your pair team-ups.)_

 _In any case, I'll see you all again in time for the next chapter. Leave a review if you liked it or something. Wwwwwwwww Cheers!_


	3. Interlude 0-2

_A/N: Nothing to reply to yet, moving on!_

* * *

 **Double or Nothing**

 **Interlude Zero: Rebirth**

 **Chapter Two: True Colors**

* * *

While I do appreciate the fact I'm not being outright choked, the knee on my chest does nothing to alleviate my fears that this mystery girl might possibly just hurt me.

No, wait, not a mystery. I did glance at her hospital records before getting unceremoniously tackled to the floor, after all. She looks exactly the same in her photo as she does in real life, waist-length pink hair with the purple streaks and all, tied in two high pigtails down either side of her head.

"How am I not dead? Why am I still alive? Do you know what you have done?!" She asks furiously, driving her leg further into my sternum.

"Calm down, miss." I say without the slightest ounce of fear, Mana's declaration of protection still fresh in my ears. The comfort of the scrunchie is soothing as I continue, "You did die, once, but we've managed to bring you back to life."

"Oh. How _convenient_. In that case, give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you right now, pretty boy," she grins ferally, and I can start to feel the nails of her hands dig into my throat.

Without anything else to lose, I state confidently, "Because us natural brunettes have to stick together!"

This causes her to flinch, and as she grabs a clump of her hair to check its colour, the pressure on my windpipe lightens up, and I take in cool, sweet air. Having confirmed that, no, she is still rocking the pink 'do, she turns back to me and laughs cruelly, before grabbing my gown and pulling me up to eye-level. The two of us stare each other down, before she sneers, "For a moment, I thought you had actually found out that I have brown hair! That was a very good bluff, but it won't save you!"

I focus on her ocean-blue eyes, with what must be the smuggest (is that even a word? I don't remember) smirk present on my face. "Does the weather feel a little _chilly_ to you, Mikako Sanada?"

At this point, I'm beginning to appreciate Mana's foresight in giving me something to wear when I woke up—for the second time, at least.

As for Mikako, I can see the puzzle pieces in her mind fall into place, and I can almost hear the audible 'ding!' that follows when she realizes where I've been looking to make that conclusion. Looking down onto her own body, her eyes widen, and I take the chance to hold up the hospital gown in my right hand. "Would you like to put this on before we continue our conversation?" I ask pleasantly. "A Cosplayer such as yourself only looks good when they're actually wearing anything—"

 _ **THWACK!**_

* * *

 **SUBJECT CONFIRMED: MIKAKO SANADA - SHSL COSPLAYER**

 **AGE: 16**

* * *

As I finish buttoning up the hospital gown, I brush away a few strands of _distinctly_ pink hair.

"Better?" I ask, as my cheek throbs painfully again.

Mikako fluffs her pigtails, smacking me in the face with them. "Much," she scoffs, still very much annoyed.

"I deserved that." I acknowledge.

"Of course you did! It's freaking common courtesy to tell someone right away that they're naked instead of waiting until they flash someone like a cheap hooker!" she yells, turning around to face me.

 _It's also common courtesy not to attempt murder within ten seconds of meeting someone._ "Look, we got off to a bad start." I hold out a hand, expecting it to be swatted away. "I'm Mikuru Yuki, the Super High School Level Aide."

She glares at my hand reproachfully. "You already know who I am, so what's the point?"

I say nothing, keeping my hand outstretched.

A few tense seconds pass before she takes it. "Mikako is enough. Now, where the hell are we, and why am I still alive when I killed myself?"

Pointing at the insignia on my hospital gown, I rattle off the Doctor's greeting from memory. "Welcome to the Sanctuary Memorial Hospital, where the best response to anything the doctor asks is SMH."

"SMH?" She looks at me as if I was the one who had slapped her instead.

"Don't even ask." I shake my head. "Anyways, as for how you're alive, the people in charge won't really tell me the full procedure, but we've basically restored you back to life, memories and all. Which reminds me: how did you kill yourself?"

I reach out, grab the clipboard from the table and check over her papers. "Your last cause of death is recorded as exsanguination, but after that, uh, _impromptu_ body check-up, I don't really see any scars that I need to check over."

"...That's none of your business." She releases my hand and looks away. "Is that all you needed to do?"

"Currently, yes. You're advised to minimize physical activity for now, so as to give your bodies and minds time to re-adapt to the world of the living. As such, I recommend you try not to kill anyone else, thanks."

"Hmph. No guarantees." She puffs up her cheeks.

 _Maybe I should cheer her up at least._ "For what it's worth...I'm glad that you're alive, Mikako." I say with a smile.

She continues to look away, but a faint blush colours her cheeks. "... _Baka_."

 _Eh, close enough._

The soft rustling of curtains to my left alert me that Mikako isn't the only one who has woken up. As I get up, her head cranes back. "Where are you going?"

"To do my job. You're welcome to watch if you'd like." Seeing as how she probably has nothing better to do, I extend the offer, and have it accepted as she gets up.

We skip a bed and walk to the second one down the line. I pick up the clipboard, and as the two of us look over it, Mikako's eyes light up in recognition.

" _The_ Famous Screenwriter Miyako Fukugami is here?!" She can barely contain her shock and/or excitement. "I didn't know people could even have the gall to kidnap her for a Mutual Killing Game!"

I raise a quizzical eyebrow. "Mutual Killing what now?"

"You...don't know what a Mutual Killing Game is?" She shakes her head. "Urgh, nevermind, you'll figure it out sooner or later. I just can't believe that she, of all people, could get caught up in the same mess as me!"

"Well, then let's go say hi." I pull back the curtain, and am greeted with a most interesting sight.

Whoever this 'Famous Screenwriter' is, she certainly is rather pretty. A flawless skin complexion sets the look for a gaunt face, framed by black locks of hair that contrast greatly with the white sheets. Her eyelashes are surprisingly long, and as she blinks, I make out their brown irises.

What draws the most attention, however, is not her face, but the ugly bruise that surrounds her neck, as if she had been strangled with a rope of some sort. I check my notes. ' _Cause of death: Intense pressure on windpipe, resulting in choking.' Ouch, she probably didn't go into the night peacefully._

"Ms. Fukugami?" I prompt.

As her eyes continue to flutter open, she takes one look at us both, before sighing, "...Oh, I'll be damned. I should have picked a higher fall."

"Sorry, but what was that?" Mikako asks, curious. Considering the volume, I'm not surprised that she didn't pick up on it, but I did, and now I feel like there's a new layer added to this garden of mystery.

 _The plot thickens._

* * *

 **SUBJECT CONFIRMED: MIYAKO FUKUGAMI - SHSL SCREENWRITER**

 **AGE: 19**

* * *

"Yes, I'm Miyako Fukugami," she reintroduces herself when I prompt her again. "I was, or I am, the Super High School Level Screenwriter...And my fans like to take that and run with it."

"Famous Screenwriter Miyako Fukugami, I presume?" I rattle off.

She smiles. "Yes. How'd you know?"

I point over to Mikako with the clipboard. "You got a fan."

She looks just a tiny bit disgusted. "I don't approve of the hair, but it's nice to meet you, miss…"

"Sanada." Mikako frowns at the jibe towards her hair. "Mikako Sanada, Cosplayer, which is why I dyed my hair in the first place. As for this guy, he's Mikuru Yuki, the Aide of this establishment."

"A pleasure." Unsteadily, she gets up to a sitting position, propping herself up, as the blanket unceremoniously drops from her shoulders. For the second time today, I am greeted with a pair of breasts.

I don't even stop the sarcastic side of me from facepalming inwardly at my 'good' luck. _I bet any other man would kill to be in my place right about now._

She notices the stares coming from the both of us, and looks down. "Oh my," she breathes. "Not that I'm complaining or anything, but someone seems to have removed my layer of powder."

"Um...Famous Screenwriter Miyako Fukugami? Aren't you a little more concerned that your...you know, _those_ are on full display?" Mikako brings her hands up to her own chest and squeezes the air.

She looks down again. "No? Why would I be? Are you people supposed to be surprised that I have breasts or something? I'm more concerned about…" she looks sharply at me. "What color are my eyes?"

"Brown." I reply immediately, curious as to why it matters.

Her face falls. "...Oh dear. If you're an aide, would you mind aiding me by procuring some red contacts? Please and thank you, protagonist-chan." She pauses. "Hmm. I'm unsure about how correct the initial assessment is, but I'll reevaluate later. For now, protagonist-chan."

Mikako and I trade glances. "Uh...You're talking to me?" I ask curiously.

"Yeah, that's right. Now, the contacts." She holds out her hand. "Please, this is humiliating."

I cross my arms. "Miss Fukugami, I may be an aide, but I can't help you right now. See, I can't get you any red contacts unless my superiors allow it, and right now, my only order is to ensure that you're adapting to your revived body well. You're gonna have to wait a while."

She pales even further. "Shit. Shitshitshit—wait, you didn't hear that." She takes a deep breath in. "I'm fine. Alright. Who are your superiors? FBI? Interpol? China?"

"SMH."

"...Excuse me? Are you connected to the North Korean government then?"

I shake my head. "We're not a crime-fighting organization or a government agency or anything of that sort, really. Just the Sanctuary Memorial Hospital, where our apparent business is necromancy."

She exhales. "Oh, thank the elder gods. I thought I was screwed." Crossing her arms over her own chest, she looks at us curiously. "Second question, then. How am I still alive?"

Before I get the chance to answer, a loud thump startles the three of us. Turning around, I see that someone has fallen out of their bed— _someone has fallen out of their bed._

"Uh oh. I'll explain later, Miss Fukugami. For now, I gotta attend to someone else. Sorry." I apologize, before running off to check up on the new patient. I reach their side as they shift from lying on the floor to a kneeling position.

"Ugh...This feels worse than that time one kid Matthew beat me up in eighth grade." The young man gingerly places a hand on his face, expecting it to just fade away or something. "What even is this place, and how am I not dead?"

"Actually, you did die," I helpfully add. "You just got revived."

He blinks, before putting a finger to his right eye. "Well, that certainly explains a lot. I'm Nicholas, by the way. Nicholas White."

I read down the information provided for me on his factsheet. "The ex-Ultimate Commander, ex-Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, ex-boyfriend to one Hikaru Momoko—" he flinches when her name comes up. "Huh, I wonder who that was to be important enough to leave in, because I don't even know the name. Anyways, there's an addendum here coming from management that due to the title of Super High School Level Commander belonging to someone who is, mind you, _still alive_ , they've requested for you to change your title to the Super High School Level Observer."

"Observer…" he rolls the word around his tongue, and shrugs. "Cleared."

* * *

 **SUBJECT CONFIRMED: NICHOLAS WHITE - SHSL OBSERVER**

 **AGE: 19**

* * *

Before I can continue, the next curtain over swings open, and a blond-haired guy looks out. "No suh, Nick, is that really you?"

"Seymour?!" Nicholas shoots up so fast I swore his head went ' _crick!'_ , "Yes suh, it _is_ you! What are you doin' here?"

"Same thing I could ask you. Wait, Nicholas, put some clothes on, eugh." He ducks his head back in. "You of all people should know by now that I don't swing that way."

Nicholas takes one look at his bare body, before looking up. I dangle the hospital gown over his head, tilting my head as I smile for maximum effect. "You aren't just gonna give me that, are you?" He guesses.

"I will, actually." To prove my point, I pass him the gown. "You've got long enough arms that you can do it yourself, so I'll just talk to your friend over there in the meantime."

As Nicholas mutters his thanks and removes the clothing from its plastic wrap, I pick up the clipboard attached to the next bed and give it a quick read-over. Satisfied that the information matches up with what I've seen so far, I pull open the curtain. "Mr. West?"

"That's me." Seymour replies, before crossing his arms. "I overheard what you and Nick were saying; to make it clear, I've died and come back to life, is that right?"

"It sure is. While I don't know the specifics myself, we've revived a select bunch of students, including you and Nicholas, whose bodies were recovered from the same location, it seems." I flip through the notes. "You were... _are_ the Super High School Level Journalist, is that correct?"

He looks at me blankly. "Super High School Level? Must be the way the Japanese refer to their titles. But yeah, I'm the Ultimate Journalist."

* * *

 **SUBJECT CONFIRMED: SEYMOUR WEST - SHSL JOURNALIST**

 **AGE: 17**

* * *

"I was locked in a city with Nicholas up north. I don't remember why or how, because it's been two years since we were kidnapped, but we were forced to take place in a Mutual Killing Game for our lives. Me, Nick, Rina, Tennoyama and Annie...We were all that was left."

 _There's that group of words again...Mutual Killing Game._

"He's telling the truth." Nicholas comes up to our bed. "Do you remember how you died, though, Seymour?"

He grimaces, and bares his chest to show a very splotchy bruise, right over his heart. "Shot. Someone took a snipe at me while I was changing, which probably explains why I'm naked right now."

"Nope." I interrupt. "You _all_ arrived here in SMH without clothing. Just like those two."

"Those two?"

It is then Nicholas and Seymour follow the direction of my pointer finger towards Miyako and Mikako, who have approached our location—though Miyako is relying on the Cosplayer to keep her steady. Luckily, she's wearing the hospital gown; Mikako must have helped her put it on.

"You were supposed to rest, Miss Fukugami." I chide, getting up.

"Not when I have questions, protagonist-chan." Turning to the two men, she addresses them. "West-san, White-san, may I ask what this...Mutual Killing Game entailed?"

"Oh, er..." Nicholas scratches his head. "Well, we were trapped in a city, and forced to live together. Not only that, we had to play a sadistic game where the only way to leave the city was to commit murder."

"And thereafter, get away with it in a school trial." Miyako finishes to the shock of everyone but me, now looking vaguely annoyed. "The nerve of some people, I swear. Don't they know plagiarism is illegal? Some might call the horror genre tired, but at least I don't steal people's ideas—"

Mikako frowns. "Hang on. What do you mean, _stealing people's ideas?_ Are you saying that you _made_ a Mutual Killing Game?"

"Of course that's what I'm saying." She grins. "And it was magnificent, if I may say so myself. Better than any single homicide I had committed by far. Everyone was so scared and the fear on their faces was just so...riveting!"

We all pause to look at her. Seymour's resting face has hardened, and Nicholas reaches for a gun he doesn't have anymore, before gritting his teeth. "Subject is part of Super High School Level Despair, I have zero backup, and my peripheral vision is at an all-time low. This cannot be good."

"...Super High School Level what now? I'm about fear, not _despair_ , and it's certainly not my SHSL anyway—that's Screenwriter. I have an actual _talent_ , several actually: I'm also a ballerina, a poet, a violinist, and a painter - but that's irrelevant. Point is, I don't know what you're talking about." Her eyes narrow. "Wait, are you FBI? You're upset that I killed O'Malley—well they _chose_ to follow Black to his death! Serves them right!"

This is getting confusing. The massive jumble of names and titles thrown out mean absolutely nothing to me, yet I can't help but stare impassively at them all. They probably think it's indifference anyways.

"I'm not FBI. What I am, however, is ex-Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, and in a more physically fit state than you. Miyako Fukugami, you are under arrest for aiding the cause of Junko Enoshima and any of her related groups—" he pauses once he sees the look on her face. "...You don't know who Junko Enoshima is, do you?"

It is Mikako who interrupts this time. "That freaky fashion model? What has she got to do with all this?"

"I don't know, and I don't know who she is. And if you're **_ex-_** _Keishichō_ , then it just means you have no authority here." Miyako states matter-of-factly, before turning her attention to Seymour, who has gotten out of his bed. "And what do you think _you're_ doing?"

"I'm just getting some clothes on," he deadpans.

It is then I decide that now is as good as any a time to step in. "Look, I don't really care what you people are talking about or what kind of beef you have with each other, but can you save this for later? The recovery process is supposed to involve as little physical activity as possible, not to mention the placebo effect only working in a positive environment. Now, if you please, drop it."

Instead, the Mexican standoff continues, as both Nicholas and Miyako stare each other down. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Mikako staring at Seymour getting into his hospital gown, and I snigger. _Perv._

"...Fine. Anyways, protagonist-chan. I think there's been a big question on all our minds now." Miyako finally turns to me. "Why are we here, and how are we still alive when each and every one of us has died before?"

I sigh, and steel myself for what's to come, knowing that I have to watch what I say carefully so as not to mention the Fujiwaras. Thankfully, the words come to me much easier than I would have thought, though I can't help but feel that this is another one of Mana's tweaks. "So apparently, someone had the bright idea to resurrect the dead…"

By the time I have finished my recapitulation, the distinct sound of coughing and general unease (not from my listening audience, mind you, I'm not _that_ bore-inducing) indicates that at least three more people have woken up. Deciding to expedite, I send the girls off to one bed and the guys to another, telling them to ensure the students within are made comfortable until I get there. Following that, I make my way to yet another bed on the far side of my original one.

Picking up the clipboard and swishing the curtain open, I only have enough time to glance at the name of the one I'm visiting. "Hikari Taiyou?"

And for the third time that day, it is breasts that greet me. Go figure.

"Yes, that is me." The young lady replies. She's already leaning against the back of the bed, the sheets covering up her legs. Her pale-grey hair trails just slightly over her shoulders, straight and neat; her eyes are of the same colour, round and expressive, much like...well.

"My sincerest apologies." I say.

She catches me staring, and understands why immediately. "My sincerest apologies as well. I do not recall stripping down since I died, and I was not expecting anyone to open the curtain quite so soon. I cannot deny that this feels like Kunoichi 101 all over again, and not in a good way." She turns to me and smiles. "I am sorry to trouble you, kind sir, but may I ask that you find something for me to wear?"

 _Oh my various gods, the prayers I never knew I had have been answered._

"Of course!" I reply a little too enthusiastically, but who cares? This is the first _normal_ conversation I've had with a girl since I woke up! "Actually, here, this is your standard issue SMH hospital gown. I'd be happy to put it on for you, if you're alright with that."

She nods, though her expression turns quizzical. "SMH?"

I shake my head. "Don't ask."

She turns around, keeping the bedsheet pressed against her bosom until we're both sure I can't see anything, upon which she lets it fall to her lap and I slip the gown onto her arms. I notice the intricate design patterned on her wrist, in the shape of a stylized sun. "Nice tattoo you have there, miss. Does it have to do with you as a person or your talent?" I ask.

"My talent, though I cannot say it does not look cool either. Hikari Taiyou, heiress to the Taiyou clan, and one of the best at what I do in the ways of the Ninja." She giggles. "Though, right now, I am just Hikari Taiyou, recently deceased, and one of the worst people at actually surviving a head-on confrontation."

* * *

 **SUBJECT CONFIRMED: HIKARI TAIYOU - SHSL NINJA**

 **AGE: 18**

* * *

"You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?" I comment, as I button over the still-healing scars on her back. There are similar ones to the front of her body, just under her breasts, but I've declined to comment on them out of respect. "The record says you died of blood loss, and I'll wager that somebody ran you through with a sword."

"My own sword, yes," she says, embarrassed. "I had it wrestled away from me, and when I asked for it back, they took my words a little too literally and stabbed me to death. They even had the audacity to taunt me by saying they 'got my back' before I passed away."

I can't take it anymore. This girl is really just too precious to joke with. "There there, you poor, poor thing." I hug her from behind, and she leans back into my embrace without so much as a squirm.

She turns around once I've let go. "I am perfectly fine. Thank you, however; I fully appreciate your sympathy and the second chance at life you have blessed me with, so I am in your debt, _goshujin-sama_." Getting onto her knees on the hospital bed, she proceeds to bow, and as she looks up, there's a swelling sense of familiarity as we smile at each other.

 _I think I'll actually like this one._ "No need for formalities, Miss Taiyou. I'm Mikuru Yuki, the Super High School Level Aide."

"I insist, Yuki-dono."

Sensing that it's probably too ingrained in her psyche to drop the suffixes, I shrug. "Alright. Would you like me to call you Princess Taiyou then?"

She blushes, and looks away. "J-Just Hikari is fine, thank you."

"Oi! Bastard Aide!"

Mikako's voice breaks the idyllic silence, and I groan. "I'll be right back, Hikari. I have to do my job first."

" _Hai._ " Retreating back under the covers, she gives me a wan smile as I close the curtains.

Turning around, I approach the nearer of the two, which happens to be the guys. Yes, all three of them.

"Hello again, Mikuru." Seymour greets, before pointing towards the newest patient. "This is Katsuhiro Remington, the Ultimate Gunslinger."

"That's Blackjack, the Super High School Level Gunslinger to you, pardner." Katsuhiro reaches up to tip an imaginary hat, before realizing his folly. "Argh, gosh darn it, who thought it was a great idea to wrangle mah Stetson?"

* * *

 **SUBJECT CONFIRMED: KATSUHIRO 'BLACKJACK' REMINGTON - SHSL GUNSLINGER**

 **AGE: 18**

* * *

To complement the other two guys, Katsuhiro has black hair, fashioned into a ponytail that looks hastily made. A scar runs down the left side of his face from cheek to chin, etched into the tan, pockmarked skin.

Looking at me with narrow, brown eyes, he frowns. "Now, what's this bullcrap ah hear about people coming back to life? It can't be done."

"You'd think it can, considering you're, well, here." Nicholas says exasperatedly. _Looks like we got a cynic on our hands._

"But ah didn't _die_." He argues. "There ain't no way ah lost that duel!"

Oh yes. I forgot to mention the pin-sized blotch that dots the centre of his forehead—the last vestiges of the headshot he received while he was alive.

Seymour has noticed it too, and he looks around, before asking me, "Mikuru, I don't suppose you have a mirror with you on hand?"

I think back to earlier, and walk a short distance to my bed. Sure enough, the makeup kit Mana gave me is still on the table, and I pick it up. Flipping it open as I walk back, I pass it over to Katsuhiro, who looks into it.

"Ah...damn it." He groans. "Okay, fine, ah don't have much a choice but to believe that Monokuma shot first. How could he have beaten me, though?"

"Easy." Nicholas grimaces. "He cheated. You're not supposed to escape an execution when it comes for you."

 _Why do I get the distinct feeling he's speaking from experience?_

"Seriously, W-T-F?! Am I the only girl in this establishment with any ounce of shame?" Mikako's voice yells out from five beds over.

The four of us (and the only males in the room) all stare at each other. Slowly, Seymour raises his hand. "Not it."

"Not it."

"Not it."

"Not- aww." I sigh, having been voted as the unlucky tribute to face the girls. Besides, even if I was quick enough, it technically still is my job...

"Ah reckon' you're in for some tough times, mate. But, eh, thanks for checkin' up on me anyways. Can appreciate it." Katsuhiro says, as they send me off to my doom.

Luckily for me, it isn't too bad. Whoever the new girl is, she's already put on her hospital gown, saving me the trouble of having to put it on for her _and_ comment about how I'm seeing more than my fair share of nudity.

"Ah, protagonist-chan." Miyako greets, though I keep her at arm's length after her little reveal earlier. She gestures towards the young woman, sitting cross-legged on the bed. "This is Hijiri Kaneshiro-san, the Super High School Level Geisha. Wouldn't you agree with me that she is absolutely gorgeous?"

"You flatter me, Miyako." Hijiri turns to me and smiles. "I do hope you'll excuse her—I do not really like to flaunt my beauty, present as it is."

* * *

 **SUBJECT CONFIRMED: HIJIRI KANESHIRO - SHSL GEISHA**

 **AGE: 18**

* * *

I hear Mikako mutter " _Hypocrite,"_ under her breath, but I cast it aside in favour of memorizing the Geisha for future reference. She certainly is beautiful, however; the hospital gown hugs her hourglass figure like a glove, and her alabaster-white skin faintly glows under the hospital light. A small beauty mark under her right eye is the only blemish on a porcelain face, and I do my best not to freeze up with one look from her velvet eyes. She brushes a lock of her raven hair away, and it is then I notice that her hair is so long, it trails along the floor from where she's sitting.

 _Seriously, did Mana push for all the beautiful girls to be revived just to taunt me?_

"Certainly, you are rather pretty, Ms. Kaneshiro, but you're still a patient of this establishment, and as such, I'm not at any liberty to say more." I reply noncommittally.

"That is perfectly understandable, yes. I do prefer to keep our relationship professional for now, until I get to know you better..." Her voice trails off, and I reintroduce myself.

Her face brightens. "Mikuru Yuki...What a magnificent name to suit someone such as yourself."

Miyako turns to her and grins. "Have I mentioned my name, though? I am the child of the night and elder gods, Miyako Fukugami herself." She elaborates with a wink. "And I'm looking for a fellow goddess...much like you."

 _...So she swings_ _ **that**_ _way too? Huh. Can't say I'm surprised._

Evidently, Hijiri has also picked up on the undertones, for she shifts uncomfortably where she sits. "I...shall consider your offer, reluctantly so."

Mikako is much less subtle about it, as she backs away, before falling over. "Aargh!"

Knocking her head against the frame of the next bed, I watch it shake, and continue to shake after Mikako has already left its vicinity, grumbling, "Shit, that hurt!"

Figuring out that, yet again, someone else is awake, I walk over to retrieve the associated clipboard, before opening the curtain.

As expected of the Super High School Level Maskmaker, she is actually not bereft of all her clothing. On her face rests a black masquerade mask, adorned with purple gems, and as I shift the curtain further to the side, the insides open to reveal icy blue eyes.

She takes one look at me, and said eyes flash with something I can't identify, before she screams.

* * *

 _A/N:_

 _Updates. Yay. I swear, though, the amount of content I have to work with is absolutely massive in comparison to what I have for anything else, and the whole 'You died and you came back to life' shtick might get old pretty fast, but hey._

 _Anyways, that's eight proper introductions out of the way, including Mikuru. What do you guys think of our diverse cast? See any familiar names? Don't worry, though, I'll try not to oversaturate chapters like these unless otherwise necessary. Besides, right now I only have to write enough to meet my own standards, so I hope you didn't find anything wrong about the chapter's length and pacing._

 _Finally, since we're all doing this anyways, QotC (Question of the Chapter): If you were in Mikuru's shoes (or lack thereof, everyone's currently barefoot here), what do_ _ **you**_ _think you would have done?_

 _And in any case, I do love reviews, so send them in if you can. For those of you with characters introduced, did I do them justice? I tried to, I promise, but I get too lighthearted sometimes and I know it, but I can't do anything about it. *sigh* Also, for a certain special shadow (you know who you are), we'll probably be in contact sooner or later to discuss the Maskmaker and her little...outburst. :3_

 _That's about it from me. Hope to see you guys soon with the next batch of intros. Cheers, guys. ~SD_


	4. Interlude 0-3

_A/N: Review replies!_

 _ **Penumbro, Mechblade007, Revolution921, HeroineOfDarkness**_ _: ...Pervs. The whole lot of you. Wwwwwww_

 _ **VioElcina**_ _: To be fair, she's under stress and shock from being revived, and Mikuru_ _ **did**_ _get a very good view to make up for it. Kidding, of course, but hey, slapstick._

 _ **Criminal Limes**_ _: No regrets here! Miyako is awesome to write, and even more hilarious to portray ocassionally, though you knew that of course._

 _ **Shadowclanwarrior**_ _: Admittedly, that is true, I didn't put up a spoiler warning, but as you've said, you should be coming into this story expecting to be spoiled on certain things. XD Besides, DoN was supposed to be read stand-alone, with or without knowledge of other publications should those exist. But I guess I'll get around to making a disclaimer...Eventually. XD_

 _ **PSIsomething**_ _: Yes, Hikari is bae, and as you will probably see this chapter, she's going to be one of Mikuru's best allies like Peko was to Fuyuhiko - though I don't think there's anything romantic between them, given Mana's...adjustments. I do like to think of them as a brother-sister pair already though, haha._

 _ **SqualinaTralala**_ _: The transfer of Mikako from story to story wasn't perfect, as_ _ **fangirlandotaku**_ _and I have talked about, and I still have quite a few of her kinks and quirks to work out before I can call it 'impressive', but seemingly-sane? That's a compliment, and not in a good way. XD_

 _ **TheRoseShadow21**_ _: Yes, you probably don't know any of these OCs very well, judging by the list of stories you've Favourited on this site...I'm not a stalker, by the way, I'm just really good at sourcing for information. :P_

 _ **arandomcanadian:**_ _Shh...don't spoil the first murder. Wwwwwwww Just kidding._

 _Onwards!_

* * *

 **Double or Nothing**

 **Interlude Zero: Rebirth**

 **Chapter Three: Done With Love**

* * *

First I got tackled to the floor, and now I'm getting screamed at. Sheesh, what's a guy gotta do to get a Hikari Taiyou on every wake-up?

"Get away from me, Konae!" The Maskmaker yells, terrified, as I hold up a hand in a half-baked effort to calm her down. "Don't touch me!"

 _Konae? Who exactly is she-_

A foot catches me in the gut, and I double over. "Gah!"

"Why do you _always_ have to ruin everything for me?! You appear whenever I want you gone the most! You appear when I'm angry, you appear when I need to keep my thoughts to myself, and you even have the audacity to appear in my _dreams_ , why can't you just leave me alone— Aah!"

In her scramble to get away from me, the Maskmaker kicks away from the back of the bed towards the side, before falling over the edge. As she tumbles out of my sight, I instinctively rush over to check on her well-being; after all, I can't have her break her neck when she's just regained use of it, right?

Probably realizing for the first time that she's not wearing anything, the girl grabs the nearest blanket— _from the next bed over, put that back, that's not yours_ —and quickly wraps it around her body. Satisfied for the briefest of moments, her face regains that panic-stricken expression as she continues to back away from me.

"Stay away, stay away!" She cries, cradling her hands protectively around her chest. "I-I'll scream, and everyone else will hear it!"

"What's going on?"

Nicholas and the other two guys rush over, Seymour lagging behind slightly due to a lack of breath. When he sees the Maskmaker, Katsuhiro turns to me and asks, "She the one who's been making all th' noise?"

 _ **Thump.**_

I break eye contact with the Gunslinger to see that our brunette patient has collapsed to the floor, her blue eyes glassy, having fainted dead away.

 _Okay, bad choice of words. But she's clearly passed out; why, though?_

I approach her prone body, and behind me is someone I hadn't expected. Instead of the men, Hijiri has followed me, and judging by the look on her face, she knows something about our mysterious girl that I don't.

"I...I do believe I recognize this woman." Hijiri removes the mask from her unconscious figure, revealing an oval, distinctly-European face. She gasps, "Yes indeed! I remember her from my days in Hope's Peak Academy, when I modelled for a geisha mask to be made in my likeness, with her being the one to approach me. She's Gwendolyn Sutcliff, from England, and the Super High School Maskmaker...But what is she doing here?"

I look at the swathe of bandages that encircle her neck, and look down onto my factsheet. _Cause of death: Decapitation._ "The same reason as all of us, apparently. Yet another casualty of a Mutual Killing Game."

* * *

 **SUBJECT CONFIRMED: GWENDOLYN SUTCLIFF - SHSL MASKMAKER**

 **AGE: 17**

* * *

Hijiri can barely contain her disgust upon hearing those words. "So it is true...I had hoped not to believe it, but I suppose it would make sense as to why she would freak out so badly, after dying and coming back to life. Especially if she was one of those taken by surprise—those who have seen death coming know how to face it calmly as the bell tolls for their life."

"Speaking from experience, are you, Miss Kaneshiro?" I ask offhandedly, checking Gwendolyn's pulse.

She nods. "I have done...things that I am not proud of. If not as a geisha or a woman, then as a human being. And I'm not ashamed to admit I've paid the iron price for it. However, if I recall correctly, what Gwendolyn said hints to the nature of her death: ' _get away from me, Konae, don't touch me'_. I suspect she was murdered by this 'Konae' boy suddenly and viciously, and you must have reminded her of him to some extent, thus her outburst."

I shudder. Of all the ways to go, getting your head cut off has got to suck. "Did you know Miss Sutcliff before all this?"

A shake of the head accompanies her next words, "I only ever met her once, the day before she left for Britain and never returned. It appears as if she might have been intercepted on her way to the airport, and forced into a Mutual Killing Game like we were."

"Let's get her back to bed, then. She clearly needs to recover, so can someone give me a hand in carrying her back?"

I turn to the others bar Hijiri, who are still standing a distance away. Their curious expressions shift as I do, though I can immediately tell they're not looking at me, but behind me.

"Already on it, Yuki-dono." A quiet, familiar voice sounds out.

Somehow, Hikari is three steps ahead, having transferred Gwendolyn's body back to her own bed in the few _seconds_ I had taken my attention off it. To say I was impressed was an understatement—I didn't even know she had gotten out of her bed!

"Well done, Hikari, no wonder you're the Super High School Level Ninja!" I compliment, ruffling her hair for good measure.

She bows, though I can sense a hint of unease at her grey hair being messed up. "You compliment me, Yuki-dono. May I ask where I should return this blanket, since it appears as if Sutcliff-san still has hers?"

Before I can answer, a loud yell sounds from within the curtains, and I sigh in exasperation. "That one."

As I retrieve the handy-dandy clipboard, Hikari moves to open the curtains, and barely manages to dodge the thrown pillow. Catching it in her free hand, she presents both items to the bed's occupant, and a pair of tan-skinned hands reach out and take them.

I wait a few moments before asking Hikari, "Can I look now?"

"Yes, you may look, Yuki-dono." She replies with a polite smile.

"Great, now, Miss Zuzaki," I say, flipping open the curtain. A girl with shoulder-length green hair and the same tan skin stares back at me...without anything to cover her bare breasts.

Amidst the screaming and death threats, I turn to Hikari. "I thought you said I could look." I deadpanned.

"I did, yes. No one was stopping you from looking," is the calm reply, and as I dodge the flying pillow, she continues with that ever-polite smile, "You did not ask if she was decent, however."

"...You and me, we are now even, you got that, _imouto_?" I mutter, before grabbing the hospital gown.

One hastily-dressed individual (courtesy of Hikari) later, I nonchalantly read out the details on the factsheet. "Brisou Zuzaki, Sharpshooter?"

"...That's me." She eyeballs me with the nastiest of stares, probably still not over the incident that happened minutes ago. "And it's just Zuzaki."

* * *

 **SUBJECT CONFIRMED: BRISOU ZUZAKI - SHSL SHARPSHOOTER**

 **AGE: 17**

* * *

"Okay then, _just_ Zuzaki." I tap the clipboard with a finger, ignoring the glare of indignance directed my way. "Do you understand the circumstances that led you here to Sanctuary Memorial Hospital?"

She raises an eyebrow. "SMH?"

I shake my head. "Don't ask. Anyways, you're aware of the fact that you did die once, right?"

Pointing to the numerous blotches along her arms, legs, neck and face, which correspond to her cause of death being ' _multiple gunshot wounds'_ , she side-eyes me with a dark look on her face. "You think?"

I shrug. The sound of rustling curtains makes me turn my head, and I spot Nicholas and Seymour attending to another person three beds away, whose face remains out of my peripheral view.

"So is this place some sort of sick purgatory where you get to hang out with other executed murderers and brag about how you almost got away with your kills?"

Another voice answers her before I do. "What do you mean, _almost_?"

 _Oh great, not this again,_ I think to myself, as Miyako sidles in and takes a seat on the bed. Zuzaki understandably inches away. "Okay, who are you, and give me one good reason why I shouldn't kick you off my bed."

Miyako's grin immediately turns sour. "Haven't you heard of me?"

"That's a no, creepy lady." Zuzaki's hands reach for yet another gun that isn't there; what is it with these people and their muscle memory?

"Creepy lady? I happen to be Famous Screenwriter Miyako Fukugami...Are you sure you haven't heard of me?"

She shakes her head wildly. "Already said it, no. Now, will you _please_ get out of my personal space?"

In turn, Miyako regains her grin. "First, what's this I hear about _almost_ getting away with your kill? I'll have you know it was never an 'almost' for me...not with my record, at least."

You could hear a pin drop in the ensuing silence.

"...You are a disgusting human being who gets off on despair." Zuzaki declares, her expression a mixture of shock and hate.

"It's not despair, it's fear! Seriously, why do people keep thinking it's despair?" Miyako frowns, insulted for the lesser of two evils. "What, did some pigtail-wearing wench in a short skirt and heels just randomly declare one day that they wanted to spread despair around the world and thus caused the term to stick?"

You could have heard the imaginary crickets chirp in the background, before Zuzaki, and the other seven patients who all seem to have paid attention to the outburst, all reply in grand unison, " _Yes._ "

"...What did I miss when I was dead?" Miyako puts a hand to her forehead dramatically. "I think I need to have a lie-down...This is just too much."

As we watch her walk away, I do a mental headcount. _Mikako, Hijiri, Hikari, Nick, Seymour, Katsuhiro..._ "Who does voice number seven belong to?" I ask, directing it at no one in particular and hoping for an answer.

"That would be me." A young woman with mocha-brown skin approaches us, her light-brown hair cascading down her shoulders in waves.

"I'm Christine Sanchez, the Super High School Level Traveler, and I just woke up…" her voice unexpectedly trails off, as her sky-blue eyes widen.

* * *

 **SUBJECT CONFIRMED: CHRISTINE SANCHEZ - SHSL TRAVELER**

 **AGE: 17**

* * *

"...Christine?"

In a complete one-eighty from how she was acting before, Zuzaki is unabashedly crying now. "Christine, is that you?!" She wails, and while I can't decipher the underlying emotion behind it clearly, it sounds like a mixture of joy and relief.

"Yes! It's me, Zue, it's me!" Christine can barely control her own tears as she hops onto the bed, and the two embrace fiercely.

"I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!" Zuzaki cries, sobbing into the other's shoulder. "I never meant to kill you and I really never wanted to kill you and I don't know why I did that and I'm just so sorry!"

"I forgive you!" Christine cries, burying her face into the green-haired girl's other shoulder. "I know you didn't mean to kill me and I forgive you and I'm alright now, so everything is fine!"

I stand off awkwardly to the side. Clearly, there's some backstory to this that I'll find out about eventually, but right now, I've no intention of coming between the two of them.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaah!"

"Uwaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

" _Aaaaaaaaaaargh!_ "

Unexpectedly, the next person to scream comes from the bed over. A raven-haired man with a widow's peak looks out, as a few strands of loose hair flop over his navy-blue eyes. "Will whatever twosome is making that god-awful screeching noise take their cryfest somewhere else before I have to smack a-?!"

He abruptly stops as Christine and Zuzaki look at him, and all three faces widen in recognition.

"Girls?!" "Isao?" "HISOKA!"

A blur rushes past my field-of-view as Christine just about tackles the man into the recesses of the hospital bed, and judging by the sounds coming from within, they seem to be preoccupied with liplocking.

"Some reunion, huh?" I comment nonchalantly, picking up the other clipboard and noting down the name and talent for future reference.

* * *

 **SUBJECT CONFIRMED: HISOKA ISAO - SHSL BODYGUARD**

 **AGE: 18**

* * *

"You don't understand." Zuzaki simply states, watching the bed shake, her tears still flowing freely. "The two of them have been separated for weeks because of Hisoka's death, and now they're reunited in this...purgatory of sorts. Anyways, you can't be _that_ heartless to admit they had it coming for a long time now, can you?"

I flip through the notes. "Nah, I'm not, but the info seems about right. We recovered all four of you from Film Lot 11037, so it doesn't seem out of place that we could have chosen the two of them at random—"

A hand roughly grabs the collar of my hospital gown. I look up to see Zuzaki, her face having reverted to its tense expression. "Four?" She says, her tone dangerous. "Tell me who the fourth person is, right now, and maybe I'll leave your pretty face unharmed unlike Hiro Takahashi once I get to him. Now tell me: is he here?!"

Before I can tell her that no, whoever Hiro Takahashi is, he's not the fourth patient, a loud, frantic voice calls out, "Zue?!"

She looks up to catch a glimpse of the newcomer. "Judy?!"

I crane my neck around to look. A shorter girl with waist-length black hair titters forward, her ocean-blue eyes wide and brimming with tears.

Pulling up Hisoka's papers matches her to the fourth picture. _Yep, that's definitely Judith Eliza Kaye, the Super High School Level Con Artist._

* * *

 **SUBJECT CONFIRMED: JUDITH ELIZA KAYE - SHSL CON ARTIST**

 **AGE: 18**

* * *

She drops me onto the floor unceremoniously, before rushing forward. Rubbing my head, I look up to see them engaged in what must be the tongue war of the century.

"...That's hot." I hear someone commenting.

Getting up, I don't even have time to steady myself before the two knock me over to the floor again. As I open my eyes for the umpteenth time, a long mess of fabric appears to flutter down from the sky, and as I catch it, I recognize it as one of SMH's hospital gowns.

 _The same one that was on Zuzaki just a few moments ago._

"Oh come on, don't tell me, you _cannot_ be serious." I groan, picking the pieces of my shattered ego off the ground along with my body. Another hospital gown is thrown at me, and I catch it without blinking.

"You're changing the sheets after you're done." I say as I close the curtains on the two girls, even though it's pretty clear that I'm going to be _arrowed_ to do it anyways.

A loud moan escapes the insides of the bed, and I shudder. "And no peeking, Miyako, let them have their privacy."

The screenwriter drops the curtain flap from where she stands. "I wasn't intending on peeking. Rather, I was going to ask whether I could join in on the fun," she smiles.

It's a testament to how ridiculous this situation is when I can't even fathom a response. Apparently, Mana's edits to my personality weren't enough to prepare me for this.

"...Don't push your luck." I say after a very long and uncomfortable pause, before I walk away. My work is clearly done here.

" _Aaah! Oh yes!_ "

 _Forget my work, I am clearly_ _ **done**_ _here._

I sit down next to Katsuhiro, who seems completely unstirred by the increasingly louder noises that are coming from the other side of the room. "Tell me your secret." I ask of him, and he side-eyes me.

"What kinda secret do you intend t'get out of me?" He asks, apprehensive.

"How you're not affected by what's going on right now, that's what."

He relaxes. "Listen to the sound of a gun firin' long enough, and you'll learn to ignore anything louder than a bang."

A scream of elation punctuates his response, upon which he lowers his face and reaches to pull down a hat that isn't even there. "Ah didn't mean _that_ kind of bang, but that works too." He continues, mildly embarrassed. He doesn't say any more, and I don't need him to, so we brave the perils of scarred eardrums together.

Eventually, the noise dies down, and because it's ingrained in me to do my unfortunate duty, I cross the room, passing by quite a few mortified faces that appear to have heard too much or paid too much attention.

"So you're the Aide, huh?" Hisoka greets. He looks much less angry from before, no doubt because of the girl in his arms. "On behalf of my friends, I apologize for the inconvenience and discomfort we probably caused."

"Think nothing of it." I say cheerfully, though judging by how they flinch at my smile, maybe a little _too_ cheerfully. "I would, however, like to remind you all that this is a soundproof hospital room; not only that, but like you four, there are others here who are _trying_ to recover from their past death experience and would appreciate a little peace and quiet."

Judith speaks up this time, and I'm more than relieved that she at least has her gown on. "Again, we're sorry. It's just that us two couples have been separated for a while now, and we really, _really_ missed each other, so we had a lot of... _things_ to catch up on, Mikuru—can I call you Mikuru?"

I don't object, so she continues on, a pleading smile on her face. "We're sorry for not taking into account the other wonderful students that must have been inhabiting this hospital, and you too!"

 _No wonder she's a Con Artist, huh? I wonder what she's like when not trying to sweet-talk people, though at least it can't be worse than her girlfriend…_

Zuzaki returns my glance with a glare. "And what do you think you're doing?" She snarls.

"Pinning the blame on you for being the first one to take off her gown." I reply, deadpan. "And before you try to deny it, don't bother."

She turns away and snorts. "You'd do the same if you were ever in my shoes, or the lack of them after I've thrown one at your head."

"Now now, Zue, no need to be rude." Christine soothes her friend. "Mikuru is just doing what he needs to do. And besides, we do kind of owe him one on bringing us all back to life, right?"

"Yeah, I mean, he fixed us up pretty well too." Hisoka runs a hand over the scar just above his forehead, sutured with precision. "Eh, sorry for the whole 'talking-about-you-when-you're-in-the-room' thing, Mikuru."

"No need to be sorry," I dismiss them, deciding there's really nothing I can do anyways. "Just please don't make a ruckus again?"

Judith raises her hand with a smile. "Yes sir! One serving of totally quiet but still consen—" I've walked away before she can finish that sentence.

Having finally settled that little spot of total drama, I move on to a bed whose occupant has just woken up, as per the usual fare. Mikako waves me over to the bed in question, before getting distracted by something else, leaving me to face this new occupant alone.

 _Rude._

There's something new about this bedside table, though. There's a syringe to one side with some clear liquid inside, a small packet of alcohol-infused wipes, and a post-it note has been scribbled and tagged onto the clipboard. Picking it up reveals that it's been written by a 'M. Fujiwara'—whether it's Mana or the Doctor is unclear.

 _Patient requires this dose of muscle relaxant and nerve rejuvenation serum as soon as she wakes up. Her body has been in cryostasis for quite some time while her brain was uploaded to a virtual server for her Mutual Killing Game, so her body has atrophied to a slight extent; nothing the power of medicine can't fix!_

A slight cough draws my attention to the person herself. Sliding the curtains open, I am greeted with a fairly pale young girl, whose jet-black hair is arranged in a neat plait that flows down the side of the bed. She coughs again, and opens her eyes.

I'm taken aback by what I see—while her left eye is as brown as the one in her picture, her right eye reflects back a brilliant shade of red. "Miss Akiyama…?" I say, unsure if I'm looking at the right person.

"Ryu. Ryuenji Akiyama. Tactician. Not Miss Akiyama, if you please," she states, pushing herself up into a seating position. The blanket falls, and I slide a marker over another square in my mental game of body-part bingo.

 _Washboard._

* * *

 **SUBJECT CONFIRMED: RYUENJI AKIYAMA - SHSL TACTICIAN**

 **AGE: 16**

* * *

"Would you like me to help you put this on?" I hold up the hospital gown, gesturing to her as I do so.

She blinks, and stays silent for a few moments, almost as if contemplating her choices. But really, what other choices are there? It's kind of either a yes or a no, ain't it?

"It's quite alright. I think I'm fully capable of performing at least such an action myself." She finally declares, holding her arms forward as if to take the outfit from me.

Passing it over, I wait for the inevitable, and sure enough, a few minutes later, she begins to contemplate her choices again. "...I take those words back. It would seem as though I am indeed incapable of performing such a simple task." She admits, drooping her head slightly.

"You know, I asked because someone with arms like yours really can't button a hospital gown." I chide her.

She doesn't reply for a while as I help her dress-up, but when she finally does, her tone is slightly harsher. "If you're just going to remind me of my shortcomings, then don't. I have better things to do than be lectured."

 _Touchy._

"Well, I don't intend to lecture you more than I have to, but I'm gonna need your arm for a bit." Bringing up the syringe, I flick it a few times. "It's for your...well, it's for your condition."

Her eyes widen for just a moment, before the startled expression is suddenly just gone, replaced instead by a frigid glare. "Explain." Is all she says, and despite knowing that she can't really do much to me while the scrunchie's still on my wrist as of now, I still feel a slight shudder.

I merely hand over the post-it note, since it should mollify whatever concerns she could have in the first place. She takes it from me, and reads it in silence, quickly scanning the paper before crushing it. Her next action isn't unexpected, but I didn't quite expect her to thrust her right arm out at me without a word of warning.

"Get it over and done with."

I tap around the inside of her arm for the appropriate vein, before rubbing the area around it with a wipe. Methodically, I insert the syringe, but before I can depress on the plunger, she mocks, "Enjoy this while you can...it's the deepest you'll ever be in a girl."

"Ooh, burn!" I hear Mikako cackle from behind me. I turn around to stare at her, but she has moved on, her attention elsewhere...deliberately or not.

Turning back towards my intended patient, I inject the medicine into her system, before taking the needle out and applying another wipe. "Burn or not, I still have a duty to take care of you, unfortunate as it may be."

"Unfortunate indeed. How about you abandon that duty, then?" She states, and while there's no trace of snark in her tone, I can't actually tell if she's serious. "Alternatively, you can…I dunno, not complain about it, maybe."

"Says the pot to the kettle." I retort, standing up. This causes her to roll her eyes, and I grab the opportunity for a counter-burn by the metaphorical horns. "Yeah, keep rolling your eyes, maybe you'll actually find a brain back there worth using."

I turn to leave, but not before registering the appalled look on her face as I swing the curtains shut. _Mikuru 1, Ryu 0._

 _It's 1:1, you dumbass, she got that sick-ass burn on you earlier._

 _Shut it, continuity, let me enjoy my moment of victory._

In the time I spent dealing with her, two others have awoken, their beds side-by-side and occupants already involved in conversation. As I near their beds, I feel a breeze pass by me. "Yes, Hikari?" I say, knowing that she's right next to me.

In response, she appears in my field of view and bows. "Yuki-dono, these two appear to be connected outside of their own respective Mutual Killing Games. According to them, they have been working professionally with each other for quite some time now."

"And it's not hard to see why, right?"

I glance around Hikari to take a look. The two have stopped in their chat, and it was the male who spoke first. "Surely you recognize me?" He asks, fixing his lavender eyes on me. Twirling a lock of dark-orange hair, he introduces himself. "Taro Tateyama, Super High School Level Actor. I'm surprised to have been brought back to life as anyone is, but it doesn't matter to me too much."

* * *

 **SUBJECT CONFIRMED: TARO TATEYAMA - SHSL ACTOR**

 **AGE: 17**

* * *

"Sorry, but I've never heard of you." I apologize. "I don't keep track of Super High School Level figures often."

Surprisingly, he shrugs, and doesn't look at all insulted. "Makes sense. It's been...how long since I've died? I don't know, but surely someone else has already taken the mantle of Actor while I've been inactive. That Elliot Bond fellow I've seen around, maybe."

Thinking back to the comments made about Nicholas and his rebranded talent, I shake my head.

"Hm. Interesting." He crosses his legs, before uncrossing them. "Perhaps there's some deity out there that's still smiling upon me. Should I feel blessed that no one has had the talent to dethrone me since my death?"

"No...You're just the first to come back to life." I say.

He deflates almost immediately with a miffed, "Oh."

"What about me, then?"

I turn my attention to the other one. Once again, I find myself face-to-face with yet another alluring woman, with this one boasting an hourglass figure and a heart-shaped face, with lips fuller than the moon on a good night. Her hair falls in pink curls across each shoulder, and a light dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose is the only imperfection in her otherwise-porcelain skin. Her green eyes seem to stare right into me as she smiles warmly. "I do hope I've managed to hold on to the same talent that got me where I am in the first place."

 _Mana, you cocktease, is this supposed to be a test of my will?_

"Going to say your talent is...Actress?" I hazard a guess based on what I've heard so far from Taro and Hikari.

Her face lights up. "Yes! I'm Miyuki Ikaruga, the hopefully-current holder of the Super High School Level Actress title!"

* * *

 **SUBJECT CONFIRMED: MIYUKI IKARUGA - SHSL ACTRESS**

 **AGE: 18**

* * *

"Then you'll be glad to hear that you're the first actress that's undergone the restorative process, so to the best of my knowledge, yeah. You are."

She does a little victory tap-dance with her feet. "Sweet! Thanks for making my bright day even brighter, mister…?"

"Yuki. Mikuru Yuki, the Super High School Level Aide." I reply. "Pleasure to meet you both too."

Taro nods. "If what Hikari says is true, we're going to be here quite some time, are we, Mikuru?"

"Depends." I hold up the stitching on my hospital gown with the initials. "The people in charge never gave me a specified time to keep you all here; I've only been instructed to check up on you all, emotionally and physically, so that you're adapting well to your returned life."

Miyuki swings her feet back and forth. "Well, I see dead people, and they're certainly much better than the last group of people I had to deal with, so beam me up! I could get used to being alive again, though I'll certainly miss watching people kneeling down to worship me."

"Sounds like you and Miyako could get along just fine—" I mutter under my breath, not expecting an interruption, though one comes.

"Hang on." Taro stops me. " _The_ Famous Screenwriter Miyako Fukugami is _here_ with us?"

"Someone say my name?"

 _Speak of the Prada-wearing devil herself._

"I heard my name, and I just had to find out why it came from someone other than you, protagonist-chan." Miyako enters the scene again, but this time, she puts a hand to her lips as soon as she sees the other two. "Oh my, do my eyes deceive me? Tateyama-san and Ikaruga-san?"

"Miyako-chan!" The Actress embraces the Screenwriter cheerfully. "Long time no see! I don't think I've seen you in, like, forever!"

Taro shakes her free hand. "Well met, Fukugami. It's been quite a while since A Song of Agony too, though I can't say I was expecting to see you here along with the rest of us recently-undeceased."

"I didn't expect to see me here either." She laughs. "Believe me, this is the last place I thought I would see a familiar face…"

She shrugs. "I suppose whatever this turns out to be will at least be entertaining. Frankly, it sounds like a great movie premise, and I'm sad I didn't come up with the idea in the first place."

"Who would've thought the dead could be restored to life though?" Miyuki chuckles. "It's like Frankenstein, except we're...you know, us, and not some hulking monstrosity going around yelling 'Kilroy smash!' or worse, zombie versions of ourselves!"

Taro raises an eyebrow. "Romero or AMC?"

"Romero, but zombies are overdone anyways. You're right." Miyako shrugs again, grinning. "There's no point overthinking it until I have to. By the will of the Elder Gods, anything is possible anyway."

 _...Elder Gods? Please tell me she isn't Cthulhu's fangirl or something._ Miyako's expression doesn't help in determining whether or not she's joking.

Deciding that I was quickly becoming the proverbial fourth wheel, I decide to move on and leave the trio to catch up on happier times.

Leaving them to their own devices, I pause. There's a faint sound of breathing coming from this next bed, which means it's another awoken patient. Picking up the clipboard, I open the curtains.

I then proceed to close the curtains, and take a second look at the clipboard, my eyes wide. _Age...holy shit._

"Okay," I announce to the others, who all turn their heads, "Can someone help me clothe a naked fourteen-year old girl before I get sent to prison for a law I don't remember but should definitely be in play here?"

* * *

 _A/N:_

 _This ain't no April Fools' joke - there really_ _ **is**_ _a fourteen-year old among the cast. And neither is the barely-averted lemon - according to their creators, that is precisely what's going to happen if they ever reunited, so...yeah. That's hot, can't argue with the (totally not Miyako) mystery voice._

 _Another eight proper introductions out of the way, and a tease at the seventeenth person to be introduced. Hopefully, this time I've written enough to get a fair scope of everyone, or I'll have to pull another Hijiri and write stuff in later, haha. Looking forward to see what you guys think of these eight._

 _QOTC: If you were ever reunited with a loved one/good friend after a long period of time, what's the first thing you'd like to do together? 'Each other' counts._

 _That's about it from me. Hope to see you guys soon with the final batch of intros and maybe some actual plot to get us started. Cheers, guys. ~SD_


	5. Interlude 0-4

_A/N: Review replies!_

 _ **CrimsonSkyTamer & arandomcanadian**_ _: Barriers, hmm…Well, I think I have an idea, no thanks to the both of you. As for Aratatatatatatatata, sure. I'll reference him on two separate counts, since it appears as if both Nick and Ryu know him..._

 _ **dashunterman**_ _: Curses, I've been found out! But seriously, I did take inspiration from Erron Black for Katsuhiro to some extent, so Troy Baker it shall be._

 _ **fangirlandotaku**_ _: Wouldn't it be so cool if the last chapter of Mikako's story was to have her suddenly wake up in a hospital bed? :3 Seriously though, if you do that, I'll personally write you stuff for your birthday or something._

 _ **IfTimeWasStill:**_ _Factional divides are a really scary thing. You already have the power block of four, who hails from a Tumblr RP called_ _ **Lights, Camera Despair**_ _, but luckily aside from a certain sometwo, they're the only ones that remember each other directly. And as for the sometwo, well, you and_ _ **Gazooki**_ _know full well who's showing up this chapter._

 _ **TheRoseShadow21**_ _: I think you'll only be marginally familiar with Mikako as we've talked about. And I specifically meant reunited as in 'just reunited', not 'brought back from the dead reunited', haha._

 _ **Criminal Limes**_ _: You're lucky I flat-out rejected Hiro, or we'd have fulfilled ITWS' prediction of a murder instead of the complete opposite, haha._

 _ **SqualinaTralala**_ _: Washboard-chan's such an ironic nickname if you knew the girl behind the character. Meanwhile, I'm gonna go hide in a ditch and hope said girl is feeling merciful today._

 _(Unfortunately, I'm not, but I'm still kind of sick and shall thus not do anything, so you get a stay of execution, SD. However, when our exams are done...Well, maybe I'll be merciful enough to make it quick by then. - CST) (Meeeeeeeeeeeep. - SD)_

 _ **Shadowclanwarrior**_ _: It's your girl screaming bloody murder, do something about her. Wwwwwwww Also, that's what I feel makes DoN partially-unique, aside from the fact that the Mononimal (shout-out to_ _ **SatokoHojo**_ _and her story,_ _ **GAME OVER**_ _, for the term) coming up will likely not have to explain the rules all over again. Or so we hope, she's going to be a little...eccentric._

 _(On a side note, I've never really seen a Mononimal identify themselves as female, aside from Monomi, and she doesn't count. I wonder why?)_

 _ **Fujisaki-kun**_ _: I'm happy you enjoyed Miyuki's portrayal! She's an excellent OC, and I'm looking forward to portraying her in her full capacity. That being said, I'm kinda still waiting on Despair's Ruling Class. :3_

 _Onwards!_

* * *

 **Double or Nothing**

 **Interlude Zero: Rebirth**

 **Chapter Four: Stay The Night**

* * *

" _Uff...¿En serio?"_ Rubbing her eyes with a bandaged hand, the fourteen-year old girl coughed sharply. " _¿Cómo no estoy muerto?"_

" _No sé."_ I communicate back in Spanish, thumbing over her chart where her 'Nationality' is. _Ecuadorian, huh? "¿Perdón, hablas Inglés?"_

 _I didn't even know I spoke Spanish. Must be another of Mana's edits...Yikes, I hope she's not turning me into a Mary Sue, whatever that is._

" _Sí."_ Scrunching her eyes together, she opens them again to reveal brown irises. "Now, again, how am I not dead?"

I usher over Hikari, who has the hospital gown in hand. "Your questions will be answered in due time, Ms. Aiza. For now..." I stop, seeing her put up a hand.

"Mx. It's Mx. Aiza, or Cande if you want my first name. They/them pronouns, please. I'm supposed to be the World High School Level Typographist, or at least that was the plan until I died."

Pushing themselves upright, I attempt to warn them that, having seen the result of many others before, that was a phenomenally bad idea. Instead, the sheet falls, just as two smooth hands slide between my glasses and block my field-of-view.

"Thank you for the save, Hikari." I comment back to my trusted little sister, receiving the plastic bag in return. Holding it out, I continue from my last point, "For now, Mx. Aiza, for the benefit of everyone, could you please put this on before I have to turn myself in out of shame?"

"What do you mean, out of-"

At that exact moment, I hear them inhale sharply. This is followed by a bunch of Spanish swears, the likes of which I don't see a need to translate.

* * *

 **SUBJECT CONFIRMED: CANDE AIZA - SHSL TYPOGRAPHIST**

 **AGE: 14**

* * *

"Okay, I've _put_ the hospital gown on. I'm fine- yeah, I'm _fine_! I'm _not_ affected in any way, and I certainly don't want to _strangle_ anyone!"

As my vision clears, I'm deeply relieved that they have indeed put it on, though the peeved look on their face indicates they're not happy about the situation. Hikari finishes buttoning up their buttons, before bowing and taking her leave.

"Well, Mx. Aiza, I'm Mikuru Yuki, and I'm the Aide to this hospital. As for how you're not dead, well, I don't know very well myself, but the gist of it is that you're alive again." I comment.

"Yeah, I can see that." They cradle their arms protectively around themselves. "What I can't see, or rather, I don't understand, is why you people felt the need to undress me, given the fact most people should be fully damn aware of my condition, and medical specialists like you should know all the better. And if it had to do with me dying in the first place, well...I wasn't aware the blood soaked into my T-shirt _that_ bad."

 _Condition? Hmm...Well, Mana's notes don't state anything about a condition. I'll have to ask into this._

"Your body was brought to this room bereft of clothing; I don't know what my superiors were thinking, but I guess...sure, why not." I look around, before getting a little closer. "Do you want to talk about this condition of yours in private though? I'm no medical specialist, so I'll need as much information as I can."

They recoil slightly, before studying me with a curious glance. Something on my face must have indicated my trustworthiness, for they visibly relax. "I don't suppose you know what it means to be agender?"

 _I feel like I should know this, but I don't...Let's be honest, though, I could use a refresher course._

I shake my head, prompting them to continue, "Basically, I'm not like your average person. I don't like it when people on the streets call me _señorita_ , because that's not what I am. I don't look at myself in the mirror and think, ' _I'm a girl'_ or even ' _I'm a boy in a girl's body'_ —I _don't_ look at myself in the mirror, because the moment I do, I want to shatter that mirror and grind the shards into powder."

"And because of that, you don't take very well to looking at your own body in the buff." I hazard a guess.

They shake their head. "I must say thank you, at least, for providing me with this hospital gown. It's good that you weren't trying to look at me just now either, because I think I would have screamed until my voice box gives out." They inform me bluntly, and with the amount of conviction in their tone, I think they would have followed through with that claim.

"Which brings me to my point. I'm _agender_ , which means I don't identify with any particular gender at all. And while I may have referred to it as a condition earlier, I assure you it is anything but. It's a part of my life as much as wearing glasses is a part of yours." They conclude.

 _Well, that's certainly a very short life if we're comparing._ I think inwardly. It's good to understand more about someone though, and I'm certainly not complaining. "Well, thank you, Mx. Aiza, for enlightening me. Is there anything I can help you with, now?"

"...Look, I appreciate that you're checking up on me and all that jazz, but I just...I just need some time alone to think. This whole coming back to life thing..." They look away awkwardly, rubbing their arm. "Sorry."

"Nah, it's fine. Just shout if you need anything—one of the others will get to you if I don't come along myself." I say. We exchange nods, and I close the curtain to let them rest, simultaneously noting, _I'm going to have to get someone else who knows more about what they're talking about to talk to them. It'll probably do them good._

It isn't long before I am summoned to my next bed. Both Hisoka and Christine are there, and the former passes me the clipboard. "His name is Koji Datsuki, and he's the Ultimate Knight, according to the factsheet."

"That's Super High School Level Knight, isn't it?"

"Does it matter?" Christine asks. There's no snark in her voice, only curiosity, so I don't hold it against her—not that I would have been able to.

"Not to me, but I get the feeling some people out there would hold full-scale discussions over it." I shake my head. "Anyways, shall we?"

I pull open the curtains. The man behind it is broad-shouldered and stout, and is rather handsome by normal standards. The chiselled chin and windswept fringe give him the appearance of your typical jock, and the five o'clock shadow just accentuates his rugged look.

Koji brushes the sandy-blond hair out of his eyes. "Uh...Where am I? And what's with the whole no-clothing thing?"

"Welcome back to the world of the living, buddy." Hisoka crosses his arms. "You're not hearing that wrong, by the way. You're alive again."

As we await his response to that little declaration, I watch as his face twists into a smorgasbord of emotions, before settling back into shock. "Pardon me...Did thou just sayeth…back to the world of men?"

The three of us exchange glances. "...Sure, let's go with that." I say, unsure of what this guy's deal is. _Why is he suddenly talking in Ye Olde Butcherede Englishe as if it's still a thing?_

His bright blue eyes widen, before he roars with happiness. "Huzzah! Ye gods, thine blessing of another chance upon this humbled squire is very much appreciated!" Getting to an upright position, he claps his hands excitedly, before taking Christine's hand. "Prithee, may I beseech the name of the fair maiden who has given me this extra life?"

His hand gets smacked away. "Back off, pal, you're barking up the wrong tree." Hisoka grunts angrily.

This does nothing to stop Koji, who merely leans in closer. "Milady, I am Lancelot of the Knights of Valour, bearer of the title of Ultimate Knight," he says, in a voice just oozing with fake charisma. "I am in your service for the days to come, and if you so wish it, I may duel this heathen for your—"

All of a sudden, his face scrunches up, and he doubles over in pain. "My sacred sword! What evil has befallen thee?!"

I glance down. _Cause of death: penetrating neck trauma. Additional note: patient has suffered non-fatal stab wound to the groin, resulting in a penile puncture wound. Patient is advised not to have an erection or excruciating pain will be felt, akin to that of a hot poker being shoved up the..._

 _Um, wow. I can't even read on or_ _ **my**_ _privates'll hurt._

* * *

 **SUBJECT CONFIRMED: KOJI DATSUKI - SHSL KNIGHT**

 **AGE: 18**

* * *

"...I just felt my junk ache reading that." Hisoka cringes, turning to Koji. "Dude, if you lay off with the flirting, or at least towards my girlfriend, I think we can all go back to actually feeling sorry for you."

"Thy wish shall be granted, provided that one of thee is able to procure a healing salve or some other coolant to aid in easing my suffering!" He declares, before wincing again and breaking character. "No seriously, can one of you please get me some ice? I feel like there's a hot poker being shoved up my—"

As he continues to ramble on, I look around. Nowhere in the now-crowded hospital room does there seem to be anything that can help Koji, other than what Mana left me with, surprisingly.

 _No food, no water, nothing in the ways of actual medicine. That's odd, but...eh._

Out of the corner of my eye, I see the occupant of the next bed over beginning to stir, if the shifting shadows are of any indication. "Stay tight, Lancelot, try not to move around too much, yeah?" I say.

"Forsooth, thou is mistaken—I can barely move as it is!"

"Get well soon!" Christine wishes him sincerely, before she and Hisoka take their leave and return to their shared bed, drawing the curtains.

Koji looks surprisingly content at that. "Ah, there a treasure goes, bound by the one who guards her chest—sword, calm thyself at once! Argh!"

Ignoring his random bouts of gadzookery and normalcy, I pick the clipboard up and glance over the details. _Huh...The Super High School Level Memory Bank? That's an interesting talent, wonder what she did to get it?_

"Are you conscious?" I call out, hoping for a reply.

To my relief, one comes immediately. "Yes, I am. Tell me, why am I here in the buff when my last memory is of getting my throat slit?"

 _Sheesh,_ _ **another**_ _girl? This place is quickly becoming an estrogen brigade._

"I'll explain later, but right now, can you do me a favour?" I pass the hospital gown inwards. "Put this on for me."

A bit of time passes, and I use the brief respite to survey the room. Quite a few of the people who have woken up and left the comfort of their beds have since returned to said beds in order to rest. Of the ones who are still out and about though, Miyuki waves at me cheerfully from her spot next to where she's talking to her fellow movie buffs, as I've come to term Miyako, Taro and her. Judith is making pleasant conversation with Hikari not far away, and while I'm apprehensive about what kind of lies the Con Artist might be feeding my self-proclaimed little sister, I suppress the urge to go over and find out. Across the room, Ryuenji has struck up small talk with Katsuhiro, and while I can hear his title of 'Gunslinger' being mentioned, the rest of it is too far away to discern clearly.

It doesn't help that she's still fixing me with a nasty glare. _Looks like someone isn't very fond of tasting her own medicine._

"Excuse me?"

I am jolted by my reverie by the newcomer's voice. "I'm decent, except for the opening around my back."

"Good enough." I swing the curtain open, and to my surprise, she has turned away from me to allow me access. Silky brown hair trails over her shoulder blades, and I brush a few strands away from the ugly bruise near the right side of her neck as I get to buttoning.

Turning back around, I'm greeted by yet another fairly attractive young woman, whose hair parts at the front on either side of her head. Her pearly-white teeth sparkle in the light as she smiles. "Thank you very much for the help, kind sir. My name, if you wish to know it, is—"

"Izumi Mizushima!" A voice calls out from behind me, its owner fairly obvious. "Foul witch, why art thou here in this sacred domain even now?!"

* * *

 **SUBJECT CONFIRMED: IZUMI MIZUSHIMA - SHSL MEMORY BANK**

 **AGE: 18**

* * *

"Do not be beguiled by her succubic charm, brown-haired one! She means to wound you when you least expect it!" Koji continues to holler, loud enough for me to hear, but not enough to draw further attention.

In response, Izumi merely sighs. "I had a feeling Koji was here, since only one person I've ever known speaks like that. Why and how he is also alive is another matter entirely, but I would advise you to disregard his foolish claims, for they do not hold any weight."

 _Something doesn't feel quite right here..._

"Actually, I'm more inclined to believe him than you." I bluff, looking inquisitive. "Overzealous to his job and slightly loopy he might be, I don't think he's a liar. Now, are you gonna tell me what happened between the two of you, or do you want me to hear his side of the story first?"

Her hazel eyes study my own, as she searches for a way out. Realizing that there is none, she huffs. "Fine, if you must know, I may have murdered Koji. I'm responsible for the wound near his head...both of them, in fact."

I can't help but smirk at the innuendo, even as Koji is yelling archaic curses from behind me. "What did you do, ambush him in the toilet?"

"Hardly. Koji is a simple man of simple desires, despite his delusions of grandeur and debauchery." Izumi explains, gesturing to herself. "For instance, while he may crow about his status as...Lancelot of the Knights of Valour, bearer of the title of Ultimate Knight?"

"He introduced himself the same way earlier, yes. But I'm guessing you remember those words in particular from the _first_ time you encountered him?" _Impressive...No wonder she's a Memory Bank._

Her face brightens up considerably. "You know, I think I'll like you. You're no Keigo Ichinose, that's for sure, but you'll do. Anyways, even though he'd like to have you believe that he's a paragon of virtue and all that, deep down, he's just another man."

"I have committed sins that I am in no way proud of, but you of all people should know that the magnitude of the sins _you've_ committed far outweigh my own!"

I flinch slightly as Koji suddenly appears, still clutching his groin as if it would run away from him if he didn't. Pointing at Izumi with his free hand, he proclaims, punctuating his last few words for emphasis, "Pardon the obligatory Monty Python reference, but you're just a very. Naughty. Woman! How dare you show your face here in the sacred abode of purgatory and not expect some sort of judgement to be cast upon thee for thy heinous act!"

"Lancelo- Koji. We've been through this." Izumi crosses her legs and hugs them in an attempt to look innocent, even though her confession only moments before paints her as anything but. "I expressedly made it clear that killing you was nothing personal. You just happened to suit my needs, and to be fair, I happened to suit yours too."

He immediately blushes, before howling in pain and falling onto the bed. "And yet you are responsible for the single greatest insult to a knight's pride! You had the unmitigated gall to stab me _before_ and not _after_ I achieved climax! Even if I were to forgive you for such treachery, that is disrespectful to the male population of the world as a whole!"

 _...What the actual hell was he doing when she stabbed him?_

I decide now is as ever a good time as any to step in and diffuse the situation. "Look, whatever the beef between you two is, and I'm sure it's perfectly explainable and justified, right now, both of you need to rest."

I signal to the rest of the quiet hospital room. "If you haven't realized, you were brought here to recuperate from your past deaths, not aggravate the situation. Granted, I hadn't expected for the two of you to have been connected in such a way, and again, whatever enmity that exists between the two of you is none of my business. But may I _politely_ request that you both retire to your beds?"

The silence that follows is thick, but Koji eventually breaks it, sighing, "Hmph. Fine, we shall resume this conversation at a later time, including the terms of _your_ retribution." He turns to me and his expression softens. "However, may I at least endeavour to know your name, gallant restorer?"

"Indeed." Izumi crosses her fingers. "I remember the name of every person I've ever met, and I would like to remember yours, too."

"It's Mikuru. Mikuru Yuki, the Super High School Level Aide."

She raises an eyebrow. "...Future Hope? Your parents must have had very good foresight, if that is actually your real name."

 _She probably knows it isn't._

"Hardly." I echo. "For one, they didn't choose my surname. For another, a close friend was the one responsible for my name, and I wouldn't think it out of the question if he gave me such an auspicious name."

This relaxes the Memory Bank, who resumes her smile. "Then who am I to argue? It's a pleasure to meet you, Mikuru."

"Indeed, it is. Ah," Koji looks behind me, and it's by memory that I recall how the movie buffs are seated there. "More fair maidens? That's certainly a welcome sight. I shall take my leave now, Squire Yuki."

As I watch him attempt to strike up conversation with the trio, I pull the curtain back on Izumi, who has settled herself back into bed with an expression of content. Following that, I fistpump slightly. _Another successful ceasefire. Go me, go me, go-!_

"Yuki-dono?"

I pause in my mini-celebration. "Yes, Hikari?" I greet happily, before turning to her companion, the smile fading away. "...And Judith?"

Her smirk stays on as she punches my shoulder playfully. "What, can't handle looking at me straight after my heated reunion?"

"You and 'straight' don't belong in the same sentence," I deadpan, before focusing on the more straightforward of the two. "So what's up, Hikari?"

"Someone else has woken up, and he has asked to talk to the person with the most authority in this room. Naturally, that would be you, Yuki-dono, so we hastened to get your attention." Hikari reveals.

"Right on, then, bring me to him."

We walk to one of the few remaining beds I haven't visited, as Judith hands me the clipboard for the patient inside. A quick look later, and I'm opening the curtains. "I'm Mikuru Yuki, the Super High School Level Aide. You wanted to see me, Mr. Fukada? Or would you prefer Sousuke?"

The blond-haired, sallow-skinned man nods once, his expression hostile. "Sousuke is fine. I'll assume an introduction is unneeded, because that clipboard appears to contain everything you need to know about me."

 _So the Codebreaker doesn't like to mince his words. That's surprisingly direct, but not unwelcome_ — _though how he'll fare with the others is another story entirely._

* * *

 **SUBJECT CONFIRMED: SOUSUKE FUKADA - SHSL CODEBREAKER**

 **AGE: 18**

* * *

"How can I help you, then?" I reply nonchalantly.

His expression hardens. "Explain, if you will, why I'm talking to you."

Moments pass, and the meaning of his words still remain unclear. "Sorry, what? Also," I hold up the hospital gown. "Do you wanna put this on first? It's pretty cold in this room, I'd say."

"That can wait until after I fucking understand what the hell is going on here, Yuki." Brown eyes narrowing, Sousuke tents his fingers underneath his chiselled jaw. "By all means, I should be dead. And the dead do not magically come back to life. And even if they do, I should be one of the _last_ people that can be considered redeemable enough to merit a second chance. Now, what is going on?"

A silent battle of wills commences as we stare each other down. Considering I was never going to win anyways, I set down the clipboard. "While I can't tell you everything, Sousuke, I can give you a brief summary of why you're here. You see…"

The other two also listen intently as I recapitulate the circumstances surrounding our mass rebirth, conveniently leaving out the fact that I'm one of them as well. It occurs to me that neither Hikari nor Judith have heard the full story yet, but now they do, it'll be more convenient later on.

"I see. If your end goal is to just revive the dead, then I daresay you have succeeded." He crosses his arms. "You've made a huge mistake in choosing me, however. I don't deserve this, not after what I've done."

"Believe me, if you think what _you_ did was bad," I say without the slightest idea of what exactly he did, although it probably has to do with the large, jagged scars running down the front of his well-muscled chest, "You officially haven't met the others."

He lets out a cold laugh. "How bad can they be? Are you going to tell me this girl here is also responsible for murder?" He says, gesturing to Judith.

"Involuntary manslaughter, evading arrest _and_ about fifty-plus counts of fraud." Judith informs him, the smirk wavering ever-so-slightly. "Though I can assure you that the fraud was done non-maliciously, if wilfully."

Everyone present simply stares at the Con Artist. Sousuke coughs awkwardly. "Well, fuck. Sorry I asked."

"Don't be. I actually did something good with the money I got, so it's not too bad." She looks around. "Strange, I would have expected Hisoka to laugh by now. He of all people knows it's true."

I thumb the bed in question, and the two discarded hospital gowns on the floor beside it. "He's preoccupied." I sigh, mentally adding another bed to the list of ' _things that need to be burned in order to remove sin'_.

 _At least they're being quiet about it._

"...So now what?" Sousuke begins tapping a finger. "Do we all go back into society and pretend we never died or disappeared in the first place?"

"Right now, just rest." I advise, tossing him the hospital gown. "And put that on if you intend to try walking around. I think SMH has had enough nudity for one day without going into specifics."

"SMH?"

I shake my head. "Don't ask. Hikari, if he needs assistance putting that on, can I trust you to help him?"

"As you wish, Yuki-dono. Fukada-san, would you mind if I helped to button your gown?"

He shrugs as I leave. "Whatever."

The last patient awakens not long after, and Hijiri is there to attend to her. It's interesting to note that she's the first redhead of our sorry bunch, and as she absently coils a lock of scarlet hair around an ink-stained finger, I'm almost sure I know what her talent must be.

Well, I was close. Picking up the clipboard reveals that she's the Super High School Level Street Artist, as opposed to just being a regular Artist. Honestly, that's like saying there's a difference between a Magician and a Street Magician—

"Mikuru?"

I push those thoughts aside and focus on the Geisha. "Yes, Hijiri?"

Pleased that I've still remembered her name, she presents the last girl. "This is Manaka Wakahisa, and she's...Well, you're holding the clipboard and she can speak for herself, so I doubt I'll have to introduce her any further now, do I?"

* * *

 **SUBJECT CONFIRMED: MANAKA WAKAHISA - SHSL STREET ARTIST**

 **AGE: 17**

* * *

"Nope. But thanks for the help anyways, Hijiri, I'll take over from here." Bending down by the bedside, I try to get Manaka's attention. "Miss Wakahisa, are you okay?"

"...That depends on your definition of 'okay'."

 _Wiseass._ "You are aware that you've died once and come back to life, right? That, and you've come to terms with your death?"

She blinks at me in a manner that could almost be called lazy, but with a certain calculating coldness, as if she had already distanced herself from everything and anything around. "If being clobbered on the head and waking up to find that everything's changed doesn't imply a revival of some sort, I don't know what does. Besides, death isn't something that can be prevented."

For the briefest of moments, her expression turned melancholic, as if to say ' _it just wasn't fair'_ , before it was gone. I decided not to press the issue, and moved on, "Is there anything I can help you with, then?"

"No, I don't...Actually, you're the guy in charge here, aren't you?"

I shrug. "Let's go with that, sure. What about it?"

"I dunno...I have a gut feeling something big is going to happen." She says conspiratorially, leaning in for maximum effect. "And it's telling me you're not really the guy in charge now, are you?"

As if on cue, the main door into and out of the hospital room bursts open.

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEERE'S DINNER!"

Of all people, _Mana_ walks in, wheeling in a tray table filled with boxes and a few mini-refrigerators. She stops momentarily, looking puzzled. "Huh. Thought I heard something."

As the door swings back into place, Nicholas slumps forward from behind it, rubbing his nose. "Ow..."

"Must've been the wind. Or the sound of someone walking face-first into a nonexistent barrier." Adjusting her labcoat over the same gold dress she was wearing when I first woke up, she looks around, before her eyes settle on me. "Mikuru-chan! Judging by how no one seems to be freaking out and/or burning the room down, it seems like you've managed to get everyone settled in. Job well done, now come and give me a big hug!"

The command word sinks in as I just about run over to embrace her. _I'm not even angry that I'm technically doing this against my will, because she's just that comfortable to hug. And that is strange._

"...Yuki-dono, may I ask who your...friend is?" Hikari suddenly appears by our side, her expression neutral.

"Ah, yes, I should introduce myself!" Adjusting my glasses with a pinky, she turns to the other students, who have started to wake up and gather around us. "My name is Mana Fujiwara, and starting today, I'm the Super High School Level Neurosurgeon, and assistant director of Sanctuary Memorial Hospital!"

* * *

 **SUBJECT CONFIRMED: MANA FUJIWARA - SHSL NEUROSURGEON**

 **AGE: 17**

* * *

"So, you're the girl in charge of Mikuru then?" Seymour questions, as he helps Nicholas to a nearby bed.

Mana giggles, pulling me by the arm. "In charge? That's a pair of strong words. I'm more his boss-slash-employer in this hospital, though 'unofficial girlfriend' works too."

"Ooooooooooooh. Well, looks like there really _is_ someone for everyone." Mikako laughs. "If this is anything like a typical Mutual Killing Game romance though, at least one of you is dying by the end!"

This gets her no favours as the two official couples in the room turn to glare at her, but she remains unfazed.

"Yeah, about that, we're not in the business of Mutual Killing Games, and besides," Mana shrugs, "Aren't you a being a bit hypocritical now?"

"..."

As Mikako struggles to come up with a response, Mana opens the boxes to reveal...is that what I think it is?

"I don't know if you guys ever had your last meal before your untimely deaths, and I sure as hell don't know what you guys like to eat, so I just brought the great equalizer - pizza! You've got pepperoni, Hawaiian, seven-cheese, and the best part is that the boxes'll keep them hot! I've also got some cold water and soda for people who want something to wash it all down with, so, consider this a housewarming gift!" Mana spreads her arms, and from some unknown location, canned applause sounds out.

"...How in the blazes are you doing that?" Taro looks around, curious.

Pointing to an alcove in one corner, I follow her hand to make out a faint blinking light nestled within said alcove. "I have cameras and speakers all around this place, just so I can monitor you people from the safety of my room. That, and I was also keeping an eye on Mikuru-chan, because this is his first internship with us, so I wanted to see if he had what it took to stay on with us. It's called...Candid camera?"

"Someone call me?" Cande peeks their head out, before frowning. "Wait, who is this chick?"

"Anyways, I'll just be taking Mikuru-chan back for now. Don't worry, you'll see him later, but for now, say your goodbyes!" Mana shoves me towards the group, and once again, I'm in the spotlight.

"Uh…" _Quick, think of something cool to say._ "Smell ya later?" _Nailed it._

Hikari bows in response. "It was a pleasure to be with you, Yuki-dono. Thank you for caring for us when we needed it the most."

"Indeed, what the fair lady hath spoken! I think we shall be just peachy now, as long as no one tries to foully attempt murder...all over again." Koji states, adding the last bit whilst looking at Izumi, who grimly smiles back.

"We'll meet again, right? I'd hate to say goodbye so soon…" Christine says, shaking my hand.

Ryuenji shrugs, off to the corner away from me. "Try not to come back."

"See ya later, protagonist-chan!" Miyako waves.

I leave once everything is said and done, following Mana out of the door. Closing it, Mana turns to me and smiles. "In all honesty, Mikuru-chan, excellent work. I'm really happy that everything's gone mostly well, because that makes the reports I'll have to send back to daddy much simpler. We really made the right choice, accepting your offer."

"I just wish I knew what's going on, though…" I confess, as we walk down the silent hallway. Most of the rooms have closed doors, and we walk by them fast enough that I don't have time to check where they lead to. "Mutual Killing Games, the dead being brought back to life...This all still seems so surreal."

"I'm aware that it does, yeah." Mana tugs on her labcoat nervously. "It was a really risky process, redesigning your memory, Mikuru-chan. There were some parts of your brain I was too scared to touch, because changing them would have changed you. And I mean you as a human being, not the kind of things like what you remember and how helpful you are. Have you heard of Izuru Kamukura?"

I don't even have time to answer before she continues on, "Ah, that's right, I don't think I've ever programmed that knowledge in. I'll just save that for another time—for now, you deserve a treat."

Stepping into a room at the far end of a corridor, I walk into what appears to be a rather posh living space, complete with a kitchenette to one side and a plush bed to the other. Mana slips off her heels, and it is then I realize I've been barefoot ever since I woke up.

"So...where are we?" I ask.

"This is where you and I will be staying over the course of our little experiment with them. Daddy's stocked this place with enough stuff to last us quite a while, and it's soundproofed like the rest of the hospital, so don't worry about making too much noise."

I blink, and turn away from looking at the array of monitors situated by the bathroom door. "Too much noise? What do you mean?"

Mana points at the hallway, or rather (as my shocked face registers), what used to be the hallway leading into the room. "We're not supposed to be interacting with the deceased students beyond what is absolutely necessary, Mikuru-chan. They're also not supposed to find us—what do you think will happen if they used us as ransom against Daddy, and force him to bring back people that should _not_ be brought back? I don't want him to have to choose my safety over having to revive someone like Electra Violet Camisole, or worse still, _Junko Enoshima_."

 _There's that name again...Whoever this Junko Enoshima is, she must be bad news._

"I'm pretty sure none of them would do that, though. Except for maybe one or two of them, most of the deceased students seem like genuinely good people." I rebut.

She nods, and a smile crosses her face. "I know they are. And you know it too, because that's exactly what you said when you volunteered for our memory-erasure process. It's why I was so convinced that you would be the perfect one to help me, and I can still see I made the right choice."

She gestures to the monitors, the rifles sitting in the corner, and the birdcage in the middle of the room. "Still, I think it best we keep this place a secret between you and me, yeah? Don't worry, you'll get to meet the others again soon enough. Right now, aren't you famished?"

My stomach answers before I do, growling. "Yeah, I guess I am."

Pulling out a whole roast chicken from the oven, she sets it down by the table, where an assortment of rice and vegetables has been neatly portioned out onto two plates.

"Go ahead and dig in! I made it especially for you!"

I don't see a reason to deny such a generous request, and take my seat. The first piece of chicken just melts in my mouth, and I'm suddenly made aware of how many taste buds there are on my tongue.

 _Now everything else is just gonna taste bland...Damnit._

"It's delicious, Mana...Thank you so much for cooking this for me!" I compliment through a mouthful of dinner.

"H-Hey, save some for me! I cooked for the both of us!" Mana admonishes, though it's clearly not meant to be serious. We both laugh it off, and dinner goes off without a hitch.

Stepping out of the showers, I tug at the silken pajamas that Mana has provided me with. They're a much more snug fit than the hospital gowns, that's for sure, and I can't help but feel a little sorry for the others that they're gonna have to spend the night with said gowns on.

"So," I start, approaching Mana, who is dressed in her own set of pajamas, "Where do I go now?"

"What do you mean?" She queries, looking around.

"I mean, you clearly have the bed, so where am I gonna be sleeping?"

Mana giggles. "Silly Mikuru-chan...You're sleeping with me."

I can't help but blush. After the stuff that went on in the hospital room, such an innocent statement really holds more weight than it should have.

As we settle into the comfortable sheets, Mana turns off the lights, before mustering enough energy for one last kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight, Mikuru-chan." She says, touching our noses together, before nuzzling into my chest. The sound of light snoring follows soon after.

 _I have known Mana Fujiwara for less than six hours, on estimate, and yet, here I am. I still don't know who I truly am, nor what a Mutual Killing Game is, and I should really check up on Hikari first thing in the morning._

 _But I guess that morning can wait._

"Goodnight, Mana." I whisper back, hugging her close.

* * *

 _A/N:_

 _And thus ends the first Interlude! This chapter (well, the last part of it) was brought to you by the interactions between SD and his girlfriend, so...yeah, that's why the ending is so peaceful and idyllic and so totally different from the rest of the whole story._

 _Sorry to all fans of Mikuru and Mana, but they won't be appearing quite so soon after this, so for now, this is the end of their arc for now. But they will return soon enough! Just...give or take five chapters, I guess. We have more important people to get to know about in the near future, especially since one of them has curiously yet to wake up. What could that mean? Hmm..._

 _QOTC: Okay, now that we've actually introduced all twenty-two students...who's your favourite? Who stands out the most to you? Stuff like that, really, I'm hoping that all of them made at least some sort of impression on you, or I've failed as an SYOC author. OTL_

 _That's about it from me. Next chapter, we'll finally shift to the POV of our Mutual Killing Game protagonist, and things will kick off with the first ever FT...who with? Hm. Ah well, you'll figure it out on your own or something. See you around and cheers, guys._

 _Love is a wonderful thing, isn't it? ~SD_


	6. Anime Opening Title Sequence Go!

_A/N: So this is kind of a special non-plot related chapter that was sitting around in my head for quite some time, and I figured I might as well let it come to light. But first, a quick batch of review replies._

 _ **HeroineOfDarkness**_ _: *accepts milk and cookies* Neechan has a dirty mind…_

 _ **fangirlandotaku**_ _: /me revives you. No dying before Kaede does._

 _ **TheRoseShadow21**_ _: Damn, Koji, you're pretty popular amongst the girls - too bad it's the reviewers and not the characters, so you get an A for effort, B for execution._

 _ **Strange Nothing**_ _: Spoiler alert, there isn't really a reason. They're just twenty bodies who happened to be in the right place at the right time...Aren't they? But seriously, there really isn't anything connecting half of the cast together. Otherwise, this SYOC would be even more complicated than it already is._

 _ **Shadowclanwarrior**_ _: Thanks for the advice! I might get into touch with the protagonist's submitter over GoogleDocs or something, just to ensure I'm writing them right, but you never know._

 _ **Criminal Limes**_ _: I'm looking especially forward to one of those apps in particular… And OTM too, but take your time._

 _ **SqualinaTralala**_ _: Shh...Don't spoil anything. Some of these cinnamon rolls *might* actually live. And Mana really acts like a kid, doesn't she? She's a real daddy's girl, though judging by how she's not sleeping alone tonight, that seems like it's going to change..._

 _So anyways, the point. What exactly is this mini-chapter? Well, every good anime needs a solid opening, and while DoN will never be an anime (probably), I figured I might as well make an opening suited for it, just so people can use this chapter as a sorta-introduction to the cast at large. You know, show a friend what kind of characters they should look forward to if you're recommending DoN to them and whatnot. That, or it's probably just me on another of my random tangents that I like to go on about_ — _omakes, bonus chapters, you say tomato, I say pineapple._ _It's not just a filler chapter though_ — _squinting hard enough might just reveal a few hints as to the final fates and roles of some of our beloved characters, and shoutouts to the stories they appeared in before if they exist._

 _Special thanks to_ _ **Maestro Infinite**_ _and their story:_ _ **U**_ _ **ltimate Danganronpa 3: Despair's Final Challenge**_ _for inspiring this, even if they've never heard of me, never actually talked to me, and probably will never see this. I'd cue the 'Notice me senpai' joke right about now, but that would be cheating._

 _A little bit of imagination is needed here to visualize stuff, but hopefully I've made the intro shots clear. Presenting to you the animesque opening sequence for Double or Nothing, set to adapted lyrics from Never Say Never (a.k.a the Danganronpa anime theme music), titled (most appropriately):_ _ **Chance Time!**_

* * *

 **Double or Nothing**

 **Opening**

 **Chance Time**

* * *

A coin is flipped, and as it spins around its axis, the faces of all twenty-two Super High School Level Students flash across it. As the coin lands on a silhouette of them all standing in line, the background breaks to reveal a monochromatic bird, cocking its head to the side.

 _(Danganronpa!)_

The title card appears, and it reads:

 _ **Double Or Nothing**_

 _(Reality slips, further away.)_

A shot of two students, back to back, with the female facing away from the camera. Both wear labcoats over casual clothing, and the brown-haired male has a pair of glasses on. As they hold up clipboards, an unseen pen scribbles their identities down on the spaces next to them.

As the male pushes his glasses up calmly, **[Mikuru Yuki: Aide]** is written down in neat, almost robotic handwriting, before a trio of crosses replace the individual dots above each letter 'i'.

As if on a turntable, the camera swivels around the duo to hone in on the black-haired female, who smiles at the camera. **[Mana Fujiwara: Neurosurgeon]** is jotted down in flowery, expressive penmanship, before it is underlined—the line doesn't stop at the end, and continues on as the camera moves away. It suddenly glows blue, before oscillating up and down erratically, reminiscent of a heartbeat monitor.

 _(The dead come back to life, this game they play.)_

A brunette figure in a long, black dress, is seen stepping into the next shot, before they remove and hold an ornate black mask, studded with purple jewels. Turning to the camera, **[Gwendolyn Sutcliff: Maskmaker]** flashes next to her gaunt, refined face, each individual letter made out of glass. She narrows her eyes, and simultaneously, the glass cracks down the middle, before shattering and closing out the shot.

 _(Hope is reborn, behind a closed door.)_

A pair of doors open, and a rather tall figure with brown hair and the beginnings of a beard walks out, wearing a suit jacket over a dress shirt and long pants. The words **[Nicholas White: Observer]** are typed on-screen, before Nicholas abruptly stops in his tracks; the computer screen where his identity was typed upon provides an unseen barrier, preventing him from moving forward. He grumbles as he tries to unstick his face from the invisible wall, to no avail.

 _(As the lines of reality blur once more.)_

A solitary book lies on a table, until a hand picks it up. The camera shifts to an over-the-shoulder shot as it glances upon the title of the book: _**DA BEST SYOC EVA.**_ A rush of billowing pink hair covers the screen, before it moves away to show that the camera has changed positions, now facing the new girl, who is wearing a short-sleeved white dress with cuffs, a collar and buttons. The back of the book reveals her identity, as **[Mikako Sanada: Cosplayer]** is printed on the back cover in gold lettering. Mikako herself looks rather distant as she drops the book.

 _(Hope and hopelessness become one.)_

As the book opens to lie on its spine, it reveals a set of train tracks. A bullet train speeds past the camera lengthwise, before the shot changes to show the inside of one particular cabin. A beautiful young brunette in a white button-up blouse and a blue short skirt hangs up a blazer of the same colour, before moving to put on her footwear. The camera pans down to show her putting on a pair of leather high-heeled boots, and **[Izumi Mizushima: Memory Bank]** is revealed in the background as she walks away, having previously been hidden by said boots.

 _(You can't stop now, the game has begun.)_

The next shot is of a blond man in a bomber jacket and ripped jeans climbing up a set of stairs. Reaching the uppermost floor, he opens the door to the rooftop, before walking to the far end and sitting down on the edge of the building, dangling his legs over the side. The shot changes to show he is sitting on the edge of a clock tower, his feet just touching the face of the clock, which has **[Seymour West: Journalist]** chiseled onto its otherwise blank surface. The camera zooms in on his tired face as he suddenly looks up, as if distracted by something. Following that, the camera pans up quickly into the night sky.

 _(Innocent or guilty, one and the same.)_

The camera stops moving and focuses on the wide shot of a city levitating off the ground, as if it was somehow floating in mid-air. A small figure jumps off the aerial abode, and as the camera zooms in on the red-shirted, jean-wearing female, it frames her black-haired face as she opens both eyes and smiles—her right eye glowing scarlet as she does. The next shot is of a group of clouds that spell out **[Ryuenji Akiyama: Tactician]** , before Ryuenji herself falls through them, scattering the clouds into mist.

 _(No one is better when chance is the game.)_

A sword cuts through the mist, before the shot changes to show what appears to be an arena. A handsome blond man in a full set of medieval plate armour runs away from the camera, before turning around and bringing his shield up to chest-level. This defends him as the camera suddenly zooms in closer, as if attacking. It impacts the shield and the screen shakes, as the engraved words **[Koji Datsuki: Knight]** are made clear on said shield's surface. Following that, Koji throws his shield to the side before slashing his sword lengthwise, bisecting the camera screen in half along the red line across the middle.

 _(We tread a thin line between hope and despair.)_

The red line is suddenly illuminated with bright flashes, as the shot changes to show that it is in fact a red carpet, and someone is in the process of walking down it. Cameras of all sorts take pictures of the stunning beauty in a low-cut, magnificent fuchsia dress, her hair of the same colour falling in curls to her shoulders. A handkerchief is tossed towards the young woman, who catches it effortlessly with a finely-manicured hand. Receiving a pen and signing **[Miyuki Ikaruga: Actress]** on the handkerchief in black, she tosses it back into the crowd, before continuing her strut down the red carpet, her head held high.

 _(Denying the truth when it's already there.)_

The camera pans right to further down the red carpet, where a male-female pair are busy at work clearing paparazzi from the location, shoving them aside before they can get to the Actress. The male of the two adjusts his beret and sweater before shoulder-checking an unknown man to one side, as large block letters flash across the screen to reveal his identity as **[Hisoka Isao: Bodyguard]**. The female of the two is more passive as she tries to talk the paparazzi off, until a stray hand wanders to slip underneath her brown jacket, upon which she kicks the offender away. Exactly one second later, Hisoka flies past the camera and starts to beat up the guy before the tanned brunette pulls him away, large block letters naming her as **[Christine Sanchez: Traveler]**. The two look down the line towards the end of the red carpet, which leads to the entrance of a building—the large, flashing neon lights above the entrance read: _**LIGHTS, CAMERA, DESPAIR!**_

 _(Told so many lies, I don't know if they can find me.)_

The shot pans down, before zooming into the building's doors, entering it. The camera stops at the entrance to one of the film lots inside, where a pair of girls are standing at either side of the door. The one on the left runs a hand through her long black hair, and pulls out a stolen watch from the grey thin parka she wears. Instead of the time, the digital interface reads **[Judith Eliza Kaye: Con Artist]** , and she glances at it briefly before looking at her partner. The second girl absentmindedly twirls a prop gun around one finger, tugging her aviator goggles and brown jacket, before the look from her girlfriend distracts her long enough for her to break concentration, and the pistol flies off her finger and thuds harmlessly against her mint-green hair. As it hits the ground, it discharges its barrel, which has **[Brisou Zuzaki: Sharpshooter]** stamped across the length of it.

 _(Got an extra life, don't have to choose wisely!)_

The shot changes to the interior of the film lot, as Miyuki walks through the door. It pans out from them to show the rest of the lot, where an orange-haired, purple-eyed man looks up. Waving hello, he accidentally pushes over a stack of papers on the table. Groaning, he makes to pick them up, and as he unfolds a particular sheet of paper, his eyes perk up as the happy/sad mask pendant around his neck jingles. The camera spins around to show what he's reading, that being the beginnings of a script, where the words **[Taro Tateyama: Actor]** are highlighted at the top.

 _(Heads or Tails? Do you even know what side you're on?)_

A pale hand snatches the paper away from him, even as the red-eyed, black-haired owner of the hand slams it down on the table. Crossing something out, she follows it up by writing something in. Satisfied with the change, she returns the paper to the Actor, before walking up to meet her Actress, the black blazer, blue dress shirt and grey pleated skirt giving her a distinctly eerie vibe. The camera zooms back into the paper, where it is made apparent that the dark beauty has crossed out one of the other names on the list (Piper Hargrave) before scribbling on her own, as if to say only _she_ could do her own script justice. The shot pans right to show **[Miyako Fukugami: Screenwriter]** in elegant cursive, before zooming into the white paper as the scene changes.

 _(Does it really matter if it's on the same coin?)_

As the shot refocuses, a sprawling ghost town is revealed to be the new setting. A few brambleweeds float by in the distance as a man with a ponytail in a stereotypical cowboy's outfit walks out of a building. Flourishing both revolvers, he uses one to push up his Stetson hat, before he seemingly hears something, whereupon he turns to the source of the sound and fires. The camera zooms in on the bullet, which has been marked **[Katsuhiro Remington: Gunslinger]** , before it flies out of frame.

 _(You've messed up once, but the gods, they forgive.)_

The next shot is of a gorgeous woman wearing a highly-colourful kimono, supported by an obi weaved out of silk, and performing a traditional dance to an unseen audience. The white makeup on her face only serves to accentuate her allure, contrasted by the black hair and beauty mark underneath her right eye. As she opens a paper fan, she brings it up to her face, where her russet eyes appear to stare directly at the camera. Weaved into the fabric of the fan is her identity: **[Hijiri Kaneshiro: Geisha]**.

 _(Show the world how much you wanna live!)_

A splash of paint changes the scene, as a red-haired woman in a stained jumper and dungarees lowers a paint can and picks up a spray gun. Filling its multiple barrels with different colours, she proceeds to attack the wall of which she's painting, switching between one colour and the next without checking as to the contents of each canister. Once she runs out, she steps back and admires her finished work, where the words **[Manaka Wakahisa: Street Artist]** can be made out amidst the explosion of colours. Her work is suddenly consumed in flames, as the oil-based paint erupts into a roaring inferno.

 _(A second chance, take it, don't let it fade away.)_

Out of the fire, a monochromatic phoenix flies out, before spreading its wings wide. The screen appears to glitch, before its title appears in a flash of red, that being **[MonoHou]**. The camera zooms into MonoHou as its red eye glows, and it lets out a cry of superiority.

 _(There's a ray of hope beyond despair!)_

The shot changes to where a swivel-chair is seated amidst before a large array of computer monitors, with its back to the camera. Judging by the hood that peeks out over the back of the chair, there seems to be someone seated in it...

 _(Move on, look for the truth in this world.)_

Until the chair swivels around, revealing that the cloak occupying the chair is in fact empty, and the camera zooms in past the chair to the array.

 _(Such dedication doesn't have to come only once.)_

A shot of all the monitors, with each one featuring one of the twenty-two students, with a question mark superimposed over each one of their stills.

 _(Break through the confusion, find a solution.)_

The screens all gel together as a long list of green numbers trickle down from the top, Matrix-style. The camera zooms out to show a hard-eyed blond man in a pinstriped collar shirt typing away at a keyboard, hard at work. A breakthrough occurs as the numbers suddenly coalesce into three words, that being **[Sousuke Fukada: Codebreaker]** , but the man in question doesn't smile or celebrate, instead moving on to yet another computer, where he begins the arduous process all over again.

 _(Make the most of this second chance!)_

A dark-haired androgynous individual in a wheelchair uses a slope to move faster, before pulling on the brakes at the bottom to avoid crashing into a shelf of tablets. Pulling one off, they slide it into the interior of their T-shirt, unaware that the rest of the tablets have suddenly turned on. Each of them broadcasts a creatively-designed letter, spelling out the name and talent of their agender owner: **[Cande Aiza: Typographist].**

 _(Just take it. Live with it.)_

The shot finally changes to a girl in a black dress as she walks down a busy street, attracting zero attention despite the sword she clutches in her hands. As she passes by a poster for _**Senran Kagura: Estival Versus**_ , she backtracks, before swinging her sword in a calculated, precise movement. Without missing a beat, she continues to walk away, her cheeks puffed up in annoyance. A moment passes before the poster explodes, raining down small strips of paper, which is all that remains of the once-gratuitous poster. The strips fall down in a very neat formation, spelling out **[Hikari Taiyou: Ninja]** before the wind picks up and blows them away.

 _(Double...or Nothing!)_

The title card returns to show:

 _ **Double or Nothing**_

 _(Break through the confusion, find a solution.)_

A shot of the courtroom and all of the stands, spinning in a circle.

 _(Make the most of this second chance!)_

A shot of a numerical counter, which starts at '21', before decreasing rapidly number-by-number. The camera moves away before the number hits zero, but the meaning is clear.

 _(Just take it. Live with it.)_

Mana and Mikuru are standing on the stage of a large hall, with MonoHou perched on their arms. The two exchange a look, before sending MonoHou forwards, as it flies over the other twenty students.

 _(D-D-D-Double...)_

Screenshots of all twenty-two students flash across the screen, each looking determined and ready to fight for their lives all over again.

 _(...or Nothing.)_

The last shot is of a phone, resting against a white wall. It begins to ring with an unknown number, as the screen and music fade to black.

* * *

 _A/N:_

 _And there we have it! Your feature-length opening for Double Or Nothing, with a warm welcome being given to our Mononimal, MonoHou! Visual representation courtesy of_ _ **HeroineOfDarkness**_ _can be found on her tumblr at simplyweird85 dot tumblr dot com when she uploads it, or on my profile page, near the end._

 _That's all from me for now. If you have anything to comment about this opening or complain on why I'm not working on an actual chapter, feel free to do so over reviews or PMs. :D See ya next time._


	7. Volume 1-1

_A/N: Exam season is about to officially begin next week, so I figured it was best I get this chapter out of the way so that I don't keep you waiting. But first, your regularly-scheduled review replies!_

 _ **PSISomething**_ _: Don't worry yourself about needing to review faithfully, yeah? Take your time and know that I'm happy as long as you guys just continue to read—seriously, you and everyone else here, submitter or not, are the best!_

 _ **Shadowclanwarrior**_ _: We have talked about this in some detail, moving on. Sorry again for the mildly-rude awakening though. D:_

 _ **arandomcanadian:**_ _At least Nick has yet to meet mister Barry Erhard. Wwwwww_

 _ **fangirlandotaku**_ _: Right back at you! *finger pistols*_

 _ **SqualinaTralala:**_ _That was the intention, yes. I did consider a MonoRaion at one point in time though, but a bird is much cooler._

 _ **VioElcina**_ _: Well of course I intentionally did that! This is Mikako_ _ **freakin'**_ _Sanada we're talking about here!_

 _ **TikiKitsune**_ _: Aw, shucks, thanks! I wish you best of luck on your SYOC as well!_

 _ **IfTimeWasStill**_ _: Admit it. You like my brand of crazy. :D And yeah, I'm gonna miss writing Mikuru for a while too. I love him and Mana very much, even moreso than most of my regular OCs, and I hope to write him again very soon._

 _ **TheRoseShadow21**_ _: D'you think Maestro-senpai has noticed me-/shot_

 _ **Gazooki/dashunterman**_ _: Unexpected side benefits FTW, guys. Thanks to you both!_

 _ **HeroineOfDarkness**_ _: *grabs cookies and milk* Save the innuendos for Pen._

 _ **Criminal Limes**_ _: Fully aware of it, still don't appreciate it. Wwwwwwwww_

 _Onwards!_

* * *

 **Double or Nothing**

 **Volume One: Restart**

 **Chapter Five: Wide Awake**

* * *

 _My name is Gwendolyn Sutcliff. I am...or should I say, I was, the Super High School Level Maskmaker. None of that really matters now...not when I'm dead._

 _...I'm dead, aren't I? Then why is it that I can still hear my own thoughts?_

 _This doesn't make any sense. Think, Gwen, think. What's the last thing you remember that would explain why you're still remembering things?_

 _The sharp glint of a blade as it falls onto my neck._

My consciousness returns entirely as the bed I am lying on wobbles intensely, as if someone has just fallen by it.

"Shit, that hurt!" I hear a distinctly female voice cry out.

I have yet to see what exactly is going on, but I can tell that there is a masquerade mask present on my face, which should prove helpful in concealing my identity for the time being. As footsteps draw closer to my location, the brush of fabric to one side is what prompts me to finally open my eyes, and focus on the first person I see.

Big mistake.

 _Brown hair, thin glasses, and those_ _ **infernal**_ _gold eyes._

He opens his mouth to talk, but I am certainly not in _any_ mood to hear him talk. "Get away from me, Konae!" I scream, and as he holds up a hand in response, my panic button gets pressed even harder. "Don't touch me!"

Out of instinct more than anything else, I swing my foot around, and hear the satisfying "Gah!" of a successful hit. Unfortunately for me, this causes him to double over forwards in pain, and his head knocks against my blanketed legs— _AAAAAH I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU!_

"Why do you _always_ have to ruin everything for me?!" I cry, kicking away from him immediately.

 _I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU!_

My back impacts the frame of the hospital bed, but I can't stop there."You appear whenever I want you gone the most!"

 _CAN'T FORGIVE, WON'T FORGIVE, CAN'T FORGIVE, WON'T FORGIVE!_

"You appear when I'm angry, you appear when I need to keep my thoughts to myself, and you even have the audacity to appear in my _dreams_ , why can't you just leave me alone—"

In my haste to escape from his accursed presence, I fall off the bed and onto my rear end. "Aah!"

Rubbing my head, I flinch at the realization that my bottom feels much colder than it probably should. A fleeting glance downwards confirms my worst nightmare: not only am I being assaulted, I'm a _starker_.

 _AAAAAAH WHYYYY, DON'T LOOK AT ME, DON'T TOUCH ME, DON'T LOOK AT ME!_

My hand brushes against fabric, and I grab it. Thankfully, it's a hospital blanket that appears long enough to cover my entire body, and I drape it around my shoulders. The feeling of contentment I get when my modesty is regained goes away fairly quickly when I look up, and who should look back but the man himself.

"Stay away!" I shriek, continuing to scoot away from the source of my fear. Thinking quickly that there must be other people in the room, I raise my voice, "I-I'll scream, and everyone else will hear it!"

"What's going on?"

To my unabashed horror, instead of the help I was expecting to get, a trio of guys show up behind Konae. The one on the right, with a ponytail and a blotch in the middle of his forehead, turns to him and drawls, "She the one who's been making all th' noise?"

 _ **Thump.**_

I have absolutely no problem with admitting that the stress of the situation finally caught up to me, and I whited out, praying desperately that whatever gods that still smiled on me for some form of mercy for the agony I was certain I was about to endure at the hands of these men.

Looking back on it...not my proudest moments.

It takes a much longer while before I regain consciousness for the second time. By then, the atmosphere in the general surroundings has changed, and the hospital I assume I have been left in doesn't feel as foreign and unwelcome as it does...friendly.

 _Eugh._

A woman is sitting by the foot of my bed, and as I gaze upon her, I subconsciously place her face to a mask, before realizing I already have—or had—a mask of her.

She notices that I have woken up. "Ah, Gwendolyn Sutcliff." She greets. "It's been awhile, hasn't it?"

I recognize the woman as one of my past contacts from Hope's Peak, long before the events that would result in my death. "Well met, Hijiri Kaneshiro. I confess that I had not expected to see you again, at least not for a while, and certainly not here."

"You seem to have a good idea of where 'here' is, Gwen. Care to share?" she raises an eyebrow, though the smile on her face doesn't waver.

* * *

 _ **FREE TIME START! LOADING...**_

 _ **Hijiri Kaneshiro - Geisha - Business Associate**_

 _LIKE (-) DISLIKE (-) RESPECT (-) TRUST (-) HATE (-) ? (-)_

* * *

I push myself upright, into a seating position, and begin to analyze my surroundings. The first thing I notice is that instead of the bright, colourful garb that a Geisha normally wears, Hijiri is wearing a grey hospital gown, with the buttons on the back. Secondly, I am wearing a gown of the same make-up too, though this one is in a light shade of blue.

As my fingers trace the contours of the fabric over my body, they brush against an insignia, near the bottom of the gown. "SMH?" I murmur.

In response, she shakes her head. "Don't even ask."

"I wasn't going to." I quip back.

She stares at me blankly, before facepalming. "How does _he_ do it with so much success? It escapes me how not one of us cared to reply with that…"

An awkward silence passes between us, before she regains her composure. "A-Anyways, yes, we are indeed at the Sanctuary Memorial Hospital, for that is what those initials stand for. As for how you're here in particular...Well, do you happen to remember anything?"

"...I remember screaming for my life and trying to get away from a hospital bed like the one I'm sitting on right now, yes, why do you ask?"

She shakes her head. "My deepest apologies, but I meant before Mikuru woke you up."

 _Mikuru? Who is...Nevermind. I'll figure out who he is later, but first...what_ _ **do**_ _I remember?_

 _A knife. Diving forward. Getting intercepted and pushed down. Falling. Stopping. Being turned onto my back._

 _The sharp glint of a blade as it falls onto my neck._

"I died, didn't I?" My hands feel the area under my chin, where a swaddle of bandages covers the area around my neck. I can make out a telltale scar underneath the layers, and it confirms my suspicions.

"Unfortunately, yes." Hijiri waves her hands in front of her. "I-I mean, it's nothing to be flustered about, all of us did! We're not the only one who's suffered as a result of a Mutual Killing Game, you see. You're just the last one to wake up fully from the aftermath."

My eyebrows raise. "Not the only one? How many of us are there?"

In response, Hijiri opens the curtains a little wider.

I am greeted by the sight of fifteen-odd people, all wearing hospital gowns, and devouring into boxes of pizza and garlic bread. My mind goes into overdrive as I try to assess them all, much like how I studied my first group of…'classmates'. I immediately peg one of the men as a LARPer and a flirt, based on how he is attempting to woo a redheaded girl, with his grandiose gestures and overblown theatrics. I peg another girl as an airhead, because honestly, who dyes their hair pink and purple?

 _Unless that's her real hair colour...it better not be._

"That's the Super High School Level Cosplayer, Mikako Sanada. She was the first one here to wake up, according to the others." Hijiri elaborates, following my gaze around the room. "That person is Cande Aiza, the Typographist. They are agender, and—"

I hold up a hand. "Thank you for being helpful, Hijiri, but I highly doubt anyone is able to take in this much information in one small sitting."

 _...I feel like I should definitely recognize some of these people though._

Her cheeks redden. "Of course. My sincerest apologies. The general gist of it is that all of us here were revived through means currently unknown, and we're spending some time here to recuperate, both physically and mentally. It's also why we didn't want to wake you up again earlier."

 _Again, huh? So that wasn't a bad dream after all…_

Choosing my words carefully in case he has the foresight to badmouth me, I ask, "Tell me, what has Konae told you about us?"

"Konae?" She shakes her head. "I'm afraid you've got it all wrong, Gwen. This 'Konae' boy who murdered you...He's not here."

 _Murdered me? Well, I guess that's one way to put it._

"But I saw him." I insist, as a repetition of that one-minute memory plays through my head. "He's the boy with the brown hair, gold eyes and glasses, and he was in a hospital gown like the two of us as well."

Hijiri clicks her tongue. "Just as I thought. Gwen, despite any similarities in appearance he may share, that man you saw when you first came to isn't Konae. His name is Mikuru Yuki, the Super High School Level Aide, and he's one of the two people overseeing our revivification."

 _...Should I be relieved?_

"Mikuru...Yuki." I mentally categorize his name as a person I need to watch out for. "Okay, if you're sure. In which case, can you bring him to me so that I can get our last altercation cleared up?"

Once again, she shakes her head. "I'd like to, but he already left the room quite some time ago, along with Mana. Oh, sorry, I forgot to explain again; Mana Fujiwara is the other person in charge of us, and according to how she acts, I'm pretty sure she's Mikuru's girlfriend. It's not really that important, actually, but I thought it was best you knew."

 _Ironically enough, it_ _ **is**_ _important to me, not that she'll ever know it. That basically confirms that this 'Mikuru' fellow isn't Konae just assuming a false identity, because I highly doubt he would dump that slag Rika just to spite me._

"No, it's fine. I appreciate it. Would you happen to know anything about why we've been brought here and resurrected, then?"

"I think you'd be better off talking to the rest of the students." Hijiri explains with a frown. "I'm not sure why past murderers like me get a second chance as opposed to the people we killed, or the exact reasoning behind reviving people from all over the world in the first place. The others are still trying to piece things together as we talk."

Her frown slides upwards into a smile. "But if it's anything to be happy about, it's that we're alive, aren't we?"

 _Sigh...that doesn't really fill me with any reassurance though...let's go over what else I know for now and try to sort things out._

One, I did not survive getting my head lopped off. However, through some explicable process that apparently none of my new 'classmates' know of, my consciousness has been returned to my restored body. Therefore, for all intents and purposes, I have been reborn into my old self.

Two, my new classmates were all casualties of a Mutual Killing Game, and have been revived in much the same way I have been. We have been brought to Sanctuary Memorial Hospital in order to recuperate from any mental scars that may have been inflicted pre-mortem. The Cosplayer was the first to re-awaken while, on a technicality, I am now officially the last one to regain consciousness.

Three, due to the circumstances surrounding my panic-induced wake-up, most of the students who are aware of me think that I was assaulted and killed by Konae, whose identity is unknown to them but they presume to be the man who murdered me. They aren't exactly wrong, but I'm not about to correct them either.

Four, the bespectacled young man I saw when I woke up was not in fact Konae, or at least, he doesn't claim to be. Instead, his name is Mikuru Yuki. He, along with a girl named Mana Fujiwara, were the ones who brought us here, and presumably back to life as well. He and Mana have left the premises, but they are likely still monitoring us from afar, and will probably not return in some time, which means I will not be able to get answers from either of them.

 _...Tch. Sod it. I suppose Hijiri is right_ — _if I'm going to fully understand what's going on here, I'll need to talk to the others. I doubt I'll be able to get anything out of them past what information she has supplied me with, but at least perhaps I can find a correlation as to why we specifically have been brought back to life._

"I suppose it is, yes. Thank you, Hijiri. I should be able to handle things from here on my own." I attempt a weak smile, playing up the innocent victim card for all it was worth. At the very least, it'll encourage the others to go easy on me, and give me more time to figure out who else I can afford to trust, and who I will need to avoid.

That being said, I suppose I'm not completely heartless. Hijiri has been acceptable company to talk to, and if I'm going to have to make friends, I guess I can always start with her.

 _Even if she did murder someone in cold blood._

I shake my head. _You're one to talk, foolish hypocrite. Is it any wonder you died?_

Oblivious to the inner turmoil within me, Hijiri merely smiles. "You're welcome, Gwen. If you do intend on getting something hot to eat, though, I suggest you get up with some immediacy. Good eve."

I nod as I watch her leave, before considering my next move, and what kind of person I should approach in order to ascertain my place amongst these ex-students as a whole. Before I can identify someone to walk towards, however, a very familiar sound catches me by surprise.

 _ **Growl...**_

On second thought, it is decided, then. My next move is to eat.

 _...How anti-climactic._

* * *

 _ **FREE TIME END! UPDATING...**_

 _ **Hijiri Kaneshiro - Geisha - Acquaintance**_

 _ **LIKE**_ _(+1) DISLIKE (-) RESPECT (-)_ _ **TRUST**_ _(+1) HATE (-) ? (-)_

* * *

 _A/N:_

 _Whew! Writing Gwendolyn was harder than I thought it was going to be, mostly because the characters whose POVs I have written so far have so far been much less distrusting of the world around them (at least, on an emotional level). Luckily, I had a friend (*cough* Shadow *cough*)give me advice on how to write her, so I hope that Gwen's new style is able to differentiate her 'voice' from Mikuru, as is the need for the story to flow smoothly without confusing the two of them up._

 _ **Shadowclanwarrior**_ _here, popping in. XD I hope you guys liked the chapter, and I hope you guys take to Gwen as a protagonist well! She's a lot more complex as you can probably tell, but to what extent, I can't tell you. Shhhhhhhhhhh XD_

 _Okay, first selectable freetimes...Now, in the interest of making things more streamlined, I've split the remaining eighteen students into two groups of nine, randomly separated via generator. The first freetime chapter, coming next, will involve four out of nine students from the first group, while a later freetime chapter will involve four out of nine students from the second group, for a total of eight freetimes for this Volume. Without further ado, here is the first group of nine, who will be vying for your votes to secure their first freetime event!_

 _Hikari, Izumi, Judith, Katsuhiro, Manaka, Miyako, Nicholas, Taro, Zuzaki_

 _QOTC: Vote in the poll on my profile as to which four you'd like to see interact with Gwendolyn first. Do note that you are allowed to vote for your own character, because honestly, how would I know if you didn't? Wwwwwww_

 _That's about it from me. See you around and cheers, guys. Time to suffer through mid-year_ _s._ _(_ _ಥ_ _﹏_ _ಥ_ _)_ _~SD_


	8. Volume 1-2

_A/N:_

 _AAAAAAAAAAAA_ _あああああああああああ아아아아아아아아아아아아아아_ _!_

 _(That's the sigh of relief that I made when I realized the school semester was well and truly over. Still, I'm going off to Japan tonight, soooooo...Pardon my multilingualism, and the slightly shorter length plus long time it took for this chapter. But I figured it was better to leave you all with something first.)_

 _I should stop talking in brackets. The doctor says it isn't good for my health. I'm gonna go stock up on more apples, so have a few review replies while I do._

 _ **TheRoseShadow21**_ _: In my opinion, Gwen comes the closest to being the perfect antithesis to Mikuru, which is partly why I chose her. Don't be fooled by what I would have you believe, though, because much unlike Mikuru, she happens to fall into that lovely little category I like to call 'Unreliable Narrator'. :3c_

 _ **IfTimeWasStill**_ _: I'd like to think Gwen is the kind of person to make people approach her than to approach them, but I do suppose it's a fresh change of perspective that is undoubtedly risky. I'm actually using this FT chapter as an experiment of sorts, to test the waters on the optimal way to write Gwen's interactions with the other characters. It's even harder when I have to make her deal with specific people that she will_ _ **definitely**_ _try to avoid, with a very good example featured at the middle of next chapter (hinthint). I hope to be doing Izumi justice next chapter too, since I bet she's clearly one of the few you wanted to see. Wwwwwww_

 _ **Criminal Limes/Limeo**_ _: Unfortunately, as I was so happy to continuously remind you in the Skype chat, Miyako has always been leading the pack, even if she did end up tying with Nicholas. Turns out readers really wanna see Gwen suffer, and who better to make her suffer than our resident Despair- I mean, Screenwriter?_

 _ **HeroineOfDarkness**_ _: As you probably saw, I've adapted the tumblr style of hope shards, which will probably make for a bit more interesting visually._

 _ **fangirlandotaku**_ _: /me rebuilds you. My opinion of Mikako and Gwen's opinion of Mikako are wholly separate. Most of the time._

 _ **arandomcanadian**_ _: Pretty much. It's also because I wanted to get one chapter out before the terror that is midterms, so excuse me if it's a little short. Wwwwwwww Have some Nicholas FT to make up for it._

 _Once again, I apologize for the shorter chapter length as compared to the norm, but I wanted to appease you all with something to apologize for my absence during the most turbulent mid-years I've ever had. I'll be in Japan so, if I don't reply any PMs...well, you know. Chieri._

 _Onwards!_

* * *

 **Double or Nothing**

 **Volume One: Restart**

 **Chapter Six: Try Everything (Part 1)**

* * *

This may not come as a surprise, but as a Briton, I'm not too keen on pizza. I've eaten it once or twice with my family, but that's about it.

That being said, I'm not averse to it when the need for sustenance arises.

I test my feet against the ground. The floor feels colder than it looks, but I should be able to stand by myself just fine. Slowly, I push off the bed, and take a tentative step forward. The box at the far corner looks like a good target, especially since there's no one hovering around there, but it still means that I'll be walking into everyone else's field of vision.

Especially since my awakening seems to be common knowledge by now, what with them all turning their heads towards me.

 _Don't make eye contact, don't make eye contact, don't make_ — "Gwendolyn?"

 _Oh Gordon Bennett._

"Can I help you?" I respond noncommittally, turning towards the source. I back away instinctively once I place the face to a memory—one of the four men I woke up to on my first jaunt awake.

"Hold, hold!" The brown-haired man holds his hands in front of him, as if to defend himself, or maybe just as a sign of non-violence. "I'm sorry for accidentally scaring you the first time around, along with my associates and Mikuru, and I assure you I mean you no harm."

I can't help but feel that he's trying too hard, especially since he appears to be attempting to maintain eye contact with me. To his credit, I'm guilty of the same habit, and as I stare back at him, I take note of the glassy and unfocused look of his right eye. Giving him the benefit of the doubt, I force myself to visibly relax, even though my heartbeat sounds much louder than it did five seconds earlier. "I see. Do forgive my earlier outburst, but I had not expected to wake up to such a sight, much less wake up at all. Charmed to meet you, mister…?"

I leave the question trailing, as the man recomposes himself. "White. My name is Nicholas White. Ex-Tokyo MPD, and current Super High School Level Observer." He scratches his chin. "I know who you are, so there's no need for you to reintroduce yourself, I guess."

 _A man of authority? Well, this conversation is about to take an interesting turn..._

* * *

 _ **FREE TIME START! LOADING...**_

 _ **Nicholas White - Observer - Stranger**_

 _LIKE (-)_ _ **DISLIKE**_ _(1) RESPECT (-) TRUST (-) HATE (-) ? (-)_

* * *

"So how did someone like you end up getting caught in the crossfire?" I ask, continuing my walk towards the box. Thankfully, the other people in the room seem content to turn away once Nicholas has caught up. _They must trust him to handle me._ "I wasn't aware that the Remnants of Despair were foolhardy enough to take on the police force, or coordinated enough to win, as it seems."

He flinches, as if I've sucker-punched him with my fists and not my words. "I wasn't an active member of the force when Despair hit. Rather, I died as a result a Mutual Killing Game, like the rest of us here. It was in a large city up north." He elaborates, as he scratches his chin. "Bad enough they managed to take me, but to see the extent of the situation...There are people here from all over the world, yourself included."

I find myself nodding in response. "Fifteen other students and I were trapped in a lovely little museum in Great Britain." _I'm not sure whether I should take the choice of location as a compliment, now that I think about it._ "I wager your host assumed the form of a monochromatic robot by the name of Monobear, claiming himself to be the true headmaster of Hope's Peak?"

"...Uh, well, he called himself Monokuma instead, but they're pretty much the same thing anyways." He shakes his head. "God, what did the world come to? I'm surprised we're even safe to begin with here, even with the whole Sanctuary thing and coming back to life."

My hand subconsciously reaches up to the area around my neck. The tell-tale scar underneath the bandages throbs painfully, as if to hammer in the point that I died. _How polite of it to do so._

"I suppose we were one of the lucky ones." I open up. "We were a tightly-knit group of people, and we survived through two successive motives before whoever was behind Monobear started getting annoyed and threatened to kill one of us each day there wasn't a murder."

Nicholas coughs awkwardly in response. "Damn. And I thought my situation was harsh. I'm sorry to hear that, Gwendolyn."

"Gwen will suffice." I stare at him pointedly. "Now, what did you approach me for?"

"I…" He hems and haws a bit, before continuing. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright, on behalf of everyone else. You still seem rather on edge, and as the oldest person here, it's my job to look after the rest of us until the actual people in charge figure out what to do with the lot of us."

 _...Perfect. That's just the kind of support I need in this establishment._

"Well, thank you very much for trying, Nicholas." I nod, trying my best to give him my impression of a reassuring smile. "But I daresay I'll be fine, and I'm sure the rest of us will fare the same as well, under your supervision."

"Good to know. I'll be around if you need me. Don't be a stranger."

As he walks back to his group of friends, I hide the smirk that has creeped onto my face. _I guess I can't fault him for trying to do his job, and he's doing a pretty good one at being top dog, but he's going to have to watch his back before someone gets tired of listening._

 _If all else goes to hell, his position as unofficial leader will effectively function as a meat shield between anyone else hare-brained enough to take the role...and me._

* * *

 _ **FREE TIME END! UPDATING...**_

 _ **Nicholas White - Observer - Acquaintance**_

 _LIKE (-) DISLIKE (-1)_ _ **RESPECT**_ _(+1) TRUST (-) HATE (-) ? (-)_

* * *

I pick up a slice of cheese pizza, before retreating to a quieter section of the expansive room to think. My acting skills (or the lack thereof, rather) appear to have gone over the heads of most, if not all of these ex-students, and right now, that's an advantage I'm going to have to keep mum about.

 _Stop thinking about things as if it's still a Mutual Killing Game. You're no longer in one,_ the rational, sensible part of my psyche tells me.

I choke it unconscious and swallow it down with my next bite. _Do not let your guard down. For all you know, this entire thing could be one big trap._

Whatever protests it may have had is silenced by the scrummy pizza.

As I continue to savour the food, I don't even notice someone looking at me until the familiar chill that tugs at my ear makes its grand reappearance. My eyes flicker over to the grey-haired girl in question, and I casually return the stare. "Something wrong?" I ask.

"Nothing, Sutcliff-san. I was merely taking note of how much different you look when you're awake." The ends of her lips curl up in a smile. "Or perhaps it is because you've eaten something tasty, but there seems to be something of...a renewed vitality to you."

I rub a hand across the back of my head sheepishly in an attempt to maintain my seemingly-innocent façade. "Sorry. Still a little gobsmacked about the whole 'coming-back-to-life' shenanigan. I take it that Hijiri or someone else has informed you as to who I am?"

Her head bobs up and down in a nod. "Indirectly, to an extent. Hikari Taiyou, the Super High School Level Ninja, at your humble service."

My first assumption is that she doesn't buy it. I'll have to proceed cautiously, so I take a deep breath. "Indirectly? How so?"

* * *

 _ **FREE TIME START! LOADING...**_

 _ **Hikari Taiyou - Ninja - Stranger**_

 _LIKE (-) DISLIKE (-) RESPECT (-) TRUST (-) HATE (-) ? (-)_

* * *

She taps the sheets of the bed under her. "I do not think you remember, but I was the one who brought you back to your bed after you passed out."

"Ah, I see. Well, you have my thanks," I respond, suppressing the grimace of annoyance that yet _another_ person I don't know has come into close physical contact with me. _Gods above, hath thou forsaken the concept known as personal space when it comes to me?_

 _Nah, that's karma's job._

 _Shut it, you._ "Based on how you seem rather at ease with the fact that we're all glorified zombies, I take it you were executed in your past life?" I continue, judging my opinion on the serene, yet subdued way she rocks gently on the edge of the bed. "I think a victim to be much more tense and unwilling to start a conversation with someone they don't trust...like me."

Hikari shakes her head. "The Taiyou clan do not fear strangers; neither do they fear death nor what lies beyond the veil. We only fear what we cannot contain...though you can add spiders, in my case." She adds with a pout. "As for our past lives, I was ambushed on a cold, dark night, and while I was able to fight back initially, I was overwhelmed, so now here I reside."

"You have my sympathy." I say noncommittally. "If it helps, at least your ordeal is over and we happen to have our lives back."

I study her arm movements, and while nothing seems out of the ordinary, the hand under her left breast tenses, squeezing the area as if to stem the flow of blood coming from it. "Unfortunately, the ordeal has not completed its course for me yet." She reveals.

"You still feel the phantom pain from where you were last injured before your death, and judging by how Monobear isn't the kind to allow guns, you were stabbed. Pretty painfully, I might add." I hazard a guess.

Hearing her gasp is all that is needed to confirm what I have observed. "You knew?"

"I figured. If the itch in my neck is of any indication, I can still feel the blade. Speaking of itching in my neck, though."

Tracing my fingers around the swathe yet again, I note the absence of something unique. "I can't find any evidence of how my head was reattached, and while I am all for the medicinal marvels of the last decade, even this seems a little unnatural. The scar's there, but there's absolutely nothing else, not even thread or staples."

"I believe we have been recuperating here for some time, actually, which is why there is a lack of visible fatal wounds on the rest of our classmates." Hikari shifts uncomfortably in her gown. "Unfortunately, they are unable to remove the mental trauma of dying, and some of us are bound to take it harder especially if they suffered an agonizing, drawn-out death."

Now I know what you're thinking, and yes, I was mildly annoyed that this girl was playing the victim card much more convincingly than I was, but at the same time, I couldn't help but feel that she was actually being genuine.

Maybe it was something in that doe-eyed, transparent presentation that made people inherently believe her.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Hikari." I murmur, trying to come across like I care.

"All is well. This is hardly the first bout of tragedy that I have suffered through, but hopefully, it will be the last." Her eyes are full of renewed determination. "We of the Taiyou clan are not so easily shaken."

"Splendid. Continue that mindset, and you should be fine." I comment, and while I've been trying to stay impartial, the friendly smile she fixes with me causes me to briefly smirk in return.

"Thank you for the reassurance, Sutcliff-san. I shall be taking my leave now, but if you should require any assistance, I am only a mere shadow away."

And just like that, she's gone from my peripheral vision. I'm torn between thinking _how did she do that_ and coming to the growing realization that I may have left a good impression on who might be the stealthiest of those gathered here.

 _She'll certainly be hard to fully predict, but if I can continue to get on her good side, she'll be a very valuable ally when we all leave the hospital._

 _And, dare I say it? She might just be more than a valuable ally...perhaps I can consider her a friend?_

 _Nah._

* * *

 _ **FREE TIME END! UPDATING...**_

 _ **Hikari Taiyou - Ninja - Acquaintance**_

 _ **LIKE**_ _(+1) DISLIKE (-) RESPECT (-) TRUST (-) HATE (-) ? (-)_

* * *

 _A/N:_

 _Gonna make this short since I don't have any real updates for you beyond that the next chapter will finish up Izumi and Miyako's freetimes, plus a bit more plot as to what everyone's going to do once they get out of the hospital room. I would, however, like to say that if you've lost interest in this story over the last month, that's okay. I'm not infallible, and I certainly don't have a clear update schedule, as evidenced by my...other works. But for what it's worth, thank you all for the characters, and I hope to be able to do them justice in the weeks to come._

 _Cheers to one and all. I'll be back shortly. - SD_


	9. BonusHiatus Announcement

_**BONUS: Inventory Check**_

It was a bit later when Mikuru walked back in, this time carrying a rucksack that looked rather spacious.

"Everyone, gather round, I have your held items here with me. Now, I don't have any tags attached to them, so I'm just gonna start throwing by instinct. If I get it wrong...eh, things happen. Not everything in here has an owner as obvious as Gwen is."

The Maskmaker's eyes narrowed. "Obvious?" she growled.

"I meant your mask." Mikuru gestured to the black masquerade mask. "Who else would be able to craft such a thing?"

If she looked mollified, she sure didn't show it. Mikuru went back to opening the bag, and looked inside.

"Stetson. Pair of revolvers, pearl finish, unloaded." Picking up the hat and pair of firearms from the bag's interiors, he tossed them to their rightful owner, who caught one in each calloused hand, and the hat on his head.

Katsuhiro admired his guns, twirling them around subconsciously. "Much appreciated." He drawled, finally tipping his familiar hat back.

"Service pistol, also unloaded...I'm guessing Zuzaki's?"

Catching it in one hand, the Sharpshooter flicked the safety on. "You never know when there's still one chambered." She shrugged.

"Fans, Hijiri. Wooden sword, Koji. Katana— Katana? _Imouto_ , I don't think you want this back, do you?"

Hikari shook her head, as one hand subconsciously found itself on her chest. The message was clear.

He returned the blade, before pulling out a lens case. Miyako stepped forward and took it from him without hesitation, before stopping. "Is my switchblade still inside, deuteragonist-chan?"

"And why do you think it's a good idea for me to give you a weapon?" Mikuru challenged, pulling out said weapon in the process.

"I didn't think it was a good idea; I only asked if it was still inside. But since it is, can I ask you nicely to _give_ my switchblade back?"

He stared at her, before relenting. "Fine, but if someone turns up with a stab wound, everyone will know."

Her smile widened. "Fair enough," she whispered, before walking away with a laugh.

Mikuru's eyes widened as he next pulled out a baseball bat, the words 'Sal II' etched onto one side in gold lettering. "Hey, what gives? I wasn't aware we had a Baseball Star in here, even if there's an autograph here from one Leon Kuwata...Okay, seriously, who actually has the need to carry a slugger on a regular basis?"

Off to the side, Christine looked away shyly, whistling innocently, before holding out a hand.

"...And I thought _you_ was supposed to be the nice one."

Rummaging once more in the rucksack, he pulled out something that looked like a piece of headgear. Turning the soft fabric around revealed an insignia that looked like a monster with multiple heads.

As everyone glared at it with similar expressions of disdain, Mikuru made a face. "Yeah, okay, I'm throwing this away. Saying no to the hydra cap."

* * *

 _ **#SayNoToHydraCap**_

 _In other news...I'm not dead, I swear. But I've sorta-kinda-moved on to Tumblr Roleplaying for a stint, and I think I'm addicted to it._

 _My sincerest apologies, guys, but I find it hard to focus on so many projects at once; coupled along with my regular schoolwork, I've prioritized my work on tumblr, so just as a note of closure, I'm putting Double or Nothing on a semi-indefinite hiatus, along with this profile in general._

 _I'm impulsive like that. I'm sorry._

 _I really hope I'll find the motivation to work on this story again. But don't fret, I will one day return to this...I know I will. Until then, I love you all for placing so many high hopes on this story, and I regret that I must let you all down for now. Thank you nonetheless, and believe me, you've been a wonderful audience._

 _Until then, this is SDproductions, signing out._


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